FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
FOI/PA
DELETED PAGE INFORMATION SHEET
FOI/PA# 1341947-0
Total
. Deleted Page(s) =
13
Page
82 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
83 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
84 ~
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
85 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
86 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
87 -
Ref err al /Cons
ult;
Page
88 ~
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
89 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
90 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
91 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
92 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
93 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
196
~ Referral/Con
suit ;
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
X Deleted Page(s) X
X No Duplication Fee X
X For this Page X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
FOI/PA
DELETED PAGE INFORMATION SHEET
FOI/PA# 1342202-0
Total
. Deleted Page(s) =
13
Page
82 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
83 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
84 ~
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
85 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
86 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
87 -
Ref err al /Cons
ult;
Page
88 ~
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
89 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
90 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
91 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
92 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
93 -
Referral/Cons
ult;
Page
196
~ Referral/Con
suit ;
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
X Deleted Page(s) X
X No Duplication Fee X
X For this Page X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(d:^~5S'L9(^
y
< 0 .
3
"■ 1 1 (^9 S ^ 1
CHANGED TO
-c (juX)
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Form No. 1
TH IS CASE ORIGINATED AT Jjgjf YORK ^ N« Y*
100-57568
REPORT MADE AT
DATE WHEN MADE
PERIOD FOR
REPORT MADE BY
NEW YORK, N.Y.
10/20/44
WHICH MADE
10/3,4,6,10/4^
FREDERIC A. BROWNELL
TITLE
HASKEEAeaCLER
CHARACTBR OP CASE
SECURITY MATTER - C
SYNOPSIS OP FACTS:
Copy
by rc^tig slip for
r kmto n nctiott
«. te
by
As of l/^/44 subject was a g»Bber of the Seamen's
Branch cf iUhe CP in MYC, Book #31371. In 1943 he
was a member of the Conroy Club of the ICL. Regis-
tered under American Labor Party in 1943* Bom
2/6/22 Chicago^ Illinois $ seamen; and member of
NlfU. Subject and wife^ NANCY Afgj'tgHUBST (maiden
name), beliered to be from wealthy families living
in Chicago. Subject believed to have registered
for draft in Chicago. Resided in NYC from January,
1943 until %ring of 1944* Wife presently residing
in Chicago.
/
If AUPA. /r^V I
The following investigation was Tired icat ed upcsi Information
received frcm^onfidentlal Ihformant I I whose identity is
known to thd^Su'eau, idio advised that one HASKELL lEXLER
of 215 West Idth Street, is a seaman and a member of the
Seamen's Branch of th^ponnmnist Party in New York City
as of Jahuazy 31, 194^ It was stated by the informant
that the sidi> ject had been a member of the Convoy Club of
the Young GomBunist League which was subsequently inducted
into the Communist Pazty. It was believed by the infomant
that the subject is the son of a "Midwest millionaire ^\/
radio manufacturer".
m
Confidential Informant T-1 advised that on January 5L, 1944
■ the subject was registered as a member of the Seamen 's Branch
MCIAL AOENT
lU ^
DO NOT WRITE IN THESE SPACES
kCOPlBS OF THIS REP<^T
Wixon, D. 1. 0^ ju ^
Instant, D. of I., 2 S.C.
gQjiy 11* ¥JIM
ooTWiuniBnT raiwTiNo
•‘034
rjy 100-57563
o£ 11113 Cosnunisi; party in Gity^ Book >>31371» 7rosi the subyoco’s reij,is ora-
tion. it was deterr'iiinsd that ho/whitOj twfenty— ono years of a^e, t^nd employed
by tno National i-Jaritima Union as a soaisan, and that ho has been in the Cosnunist
Party ong^ar*,
A rovievv of the Hex/ York Field Office indicoc disclosed
the fact that tnc subject was picked up by the SS iillPiiaSS Oi SCOi'Li-il'JD as a
survivor of a sunicen United ttates merchant vessel and upon inoorvifjxx on Dacetaber
23, 1942 at the port of Kev/ York ha stated that he was born on February 6, 1922
in Chicago, Hlaiiois, that his father and mother reside cA 2340 lincoln Park
Drive, Chicago, Illinois, and that thoir names were SBION and
/ At 215 18th Street, Ifev; York City, the superintendent,
!ir. li. i^^./Yl5K00P, advised tiiat the subject and his xvife had resided in the apart-
ment from the latter part of January, 1943 until October, 1943* lb?* x®iKC0P
xoiin^diately montioxiod thu Tacfc ‘bhat boiih *bho subjoefc nnd his \/if 0 v*i 3 r 0 v^hat h©
considered ComHunists because they hed a larg^^ictura of Stalin in their room and
talked along Comsuniist lines. He did not know a groat deal about the sr*bject
other than the fact that he stated ho is a seasian, belongs to the National i.ari-
time Union and he did not believed no had boon married voiy long^ /.hen he^ first
cams to the apartment. The subject’s T/ife claimed to be a relative of the Covernor
of the Virgin Islands and it v/as It:*. ’iiHiIKCOP’s improseion that both the subject
and his v;ife came from very wall— to-do families, both of whom reside in Chicago,
Illinois. At the tine they left the subject’s .dfe left the address of 2340
Lincoln Park Drive, Chicago, Illinois. A maid by the name of nbNAS b.fid vjas
said to be very -well acquainted vdth the subject, and ?ir. uMOOP saxd that she
is still a maid in one of their apartment buildings, which is located at 208
west 20th Street, Nexv York City.
Upon interviewing !>jrs. negross, formor naid of
the subject v/hen he resided at 215 /©st 18th Street, New York City, she adxdsed
that she had been a maid in the building for soae five years, has a 16 year
boy, and resides in Nev/ Jersey. Both the subject and his xdfe cane to Maw York
City from Chicago imediately after they -were married which was xn
1943, and JJrs. STaN said that the subject’s wife’s naiden nans xs oHLiffiiiKoT,
rmd tnat ttey nad no children^ Sh© described the subject as being Jeivish and
his father as a walthy businessBan in. Chicago naBsd SjTION rs f or tne
subject*© vdfe, she claimed to have been boni in the United utauos, but saxd
that sho had been raised in Franco# She also lEentioned th© fact that her grand-
father by the of LOVx-TT v;as Governor of the Virgin Islands. Ui>on coming
100-57568
to ifev/ Yoric City tao subject wont to a caritisio school in this locality and then
wont out to sea as a sea'-ivn or poscibli^’' an officor on a ship# althou^:h firs*
was nob sura about this# It hur b"3liof that tho i:3Ub^oct had regxsoorod^ior
the draft in (Jhicago • Illinois bscauso she recalled his r^ontioning cho aacv^
that he had been tumoJl dov.n by the xircy because of his eyes. In the i*aU oi
1943 they r.oved from 215 west ISth street to 67 Morton Street, Ife'w xo.r^c Cxty,
and ren^ained there until around March, 1944* At that tine the subject went to
sea again aid Mn-s* said that fJrs. ..IwiLM returned to Chicago ^d has sxnca
heard fron her froei Chicago* firs* whXLiiift wanted AUIiiiS SiU'2* to w®
with her ond i/ork for her as a waid but because of the fact that firs*
did not desire to break up her hcojo she rdUsed to do so* Because of the lac
that AGfj&S Sw^iH was in very good favor vdth tho wiiXL Jls and has corresponded,
with them it v;as not deemed aavisable to openly discuss vd.th her anyucout/
about the subject’s ConsTsunistic tendencies.
At the United States Jrost Office Sub-Statxon C, located
atC41 Christopher Street, hew York City, an examination of the removal records
disclosed that the subject on Beesmbor 17, 1943 gave a cnange of address to 3^
Eelden Street, Chicajo, Illinois, c/o ASH^HUfiST. They were gone for a porxod
of only fiftooB d(%ys wd 'then rB'burnQd bo Kqv/ York Ciby# Havxng rosxdod
67 Horton Street, l!ew York City, up until the spring of 1944, an exominatxon
of tho records was made to obtain a forwarding address, but there was no new ad-
dress given*
At the RoCerence library, Municipal Building, ftew York
City, the 1943 voting registration for the
.Caection district was oxatdned rnd xt v/as notea that o 5 - ^
18th Street, Kav/ York City, waryi-egistered under tne .iserxean ^bor Party* It>.s
vdfo v/as not registered either under h©yj.aidon name or narrxed name.
At tho Board of KLectionc, 400 Broome Street, Hew York
City, an exaxdnation of the voting registration showed that
ro dstei'ea on October 4, 1943 under the Imerxc^m labor Party at whicn txme he
resided at 215 west 18th Street, Apartment 2, tow York City. infoTCiatxon set
out in tho roListration stated that he was twenty-one
had b,^Gn in tho state ono and one-half years. He v;as born
and at tne tir.o of registration designated his employer as bexng the ^
■'''ritlr’O Union, 314 »^ast 27th Street, Now York Cxxy. It t/ao hxs iirot r^gx^-
tration, and ho exhibited a diplosa tojerifir his bxrth xn tno United
/athough ho did register he did not vote*
100-57563
Upon ©ndGavorin^' to detorr-ino where th© subject i:]i«;ht ha%’i?
rejistored undGr the Selective Sorvice Act in Uov/ York Cxty^ contact was r^ade
at local Board 'jl9, 250 3th Avenue, fJo;/ York City, ns v/ell as local Board ;5l8,
1133 Broadway, tier/ York City, but with negative results.
!Ir. M. B. 'wY?.lKC0f,
York City, as v/ell
stanfc cases
Tha io lloiTin,>5 description of thc3 subject was obtained from
superintendent of the buildlnij at 215 west iSth Street, Kew
as from the records exarainod during the investigation in in-
Born
Hoight
height
Hair
Nationality
Citizenship
Occupation
Schooling
■“larltal status
Father
hother
--arents’ address
22 years
F'ebruaiy 6, 1922,
Ohicago^linois
6 «
170 lbs.
Ash brown
Jewish
United States
Seaman
Eoliovod to be college graduate
Married
SlLiCN v/iY'lI'jirt
larix
2340 Lincoln Kark Drive,
Chicago, Illinois.
The following description of the subject’s v/ifo was obtained
from superintendent .7. g. IfflfflCOOP;
Hair
w’cight
Height
Dress
Citizenship
fniden
Probible parents’
r'.5ciderice
- E it I*
22 years
Blond
125 lbs.
5 ’6"
Heat
/Eurican
341 Boloen Street
Ghicago^lllinoio
I li a -
/
I
\
—4
liY 100-57563
UI®,!j;yy.L0?b0 hbim
i’Hj, Gl-!ICuGU EliiD OlViblOIil
at ChicaaOj Illinois
tail endeavor to locato tho subject’s draft board, obtain all
the inforaetion ccntained in his file it boin^' loiov.n that h<s past address v/as 2340
liucoln Park i^rivo, Chicago j Ulinoic, which is xjrcbably the address of his
parents, SJOsiON ar.i LOTTI wilXLuR. It %'sill be noted that tho subject's father
if allegediy/v/ealti^^ businossiaan in Chicago.
dll also exanina the mrriago records for the latter part
of 1943 and January, 1944 to verify' the subject's earriage to Kj'J'tOY
about tv; 0 nty~two years of age, and hor h0E3 address boDieved to be 341 Belden
Street*
Ti-k. nijl YOHIC DIVISION
at Kevf York City, K.Y.s-
.iill report th© findings of tho inquiry Rado at tho National
liaritiE© Union, 314 l.'est 27th Street, regarding vAioreabouts of the subject's
solcctiv© Gorvice board and in reporting any other inforiaation r^ade available*
NY 100-57568
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT
The confidential informant mentioned in this repoirt of
Special Agent FREDERIC A. BROWNELL dated October 20, 1944 at New York City
is as follows:
D:ifom
source
ation received from a reliable and confidential
1 1
1
furnished to Special Agents
JERQUE M. GARLAND, A. ROBERT SWANSON, J. LEWIS AMES,
WILLIAM H. HARPER and WILLIAM D. DUNNE on April 27,
1944.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
FormKo.l
This case originated at
I®7 YOKK, KST YOEK
FIL£ NO. 100-17425
\^ORTMADKAT
Chicago, Illinois
DATE WHEN MADE
11/23/44
PERIOD FOR
ifiy%2 ,^ 171 - 4 ,
6.8/44
REPORT MADE BY
VriLLIAM A. PLYHIJ, JR. TiAP/ll
Triut
mSKBlL ViSXLSR
CHARACTER OP CASE
SECURITY MATTER - C
SYNOPSIS OF PACTS:
Subject registered LDB 145, Chicago* Findings
set fortii* Birthdate verified as^2/c/22 and
date of marriag© to IJAUCY JAKD>^HS!3FaEST veri-
fied as 1/16/43. Subject’s father, SIMO^f^VisXISR,
allegedly interested in various front organizations.
Subject’s wife anparen-tiy interested in AYD.
Credit and criminal negative.
rtSFSSiJijci
DETAILS:
4Si:
mi*
)a
I/'* • ^
^ <:ci <M
‘“cy w
jei s
- EUC -
Report of Special Agent FISDSRIC A. BR0v:iJIBLL,
How York, Hew York dated 10/20/44
/I
/-"i-//- 4/.
Mrs. K. ISCilAHiJS, Chief Clerk, Local Board {(-145,
Chicago, Illinois, made available the Selective
Service file of HASKELL IISXLBR, Subject registered
Juno 26, 1942 at Local Board 16 in Hew York Ci-lgr
and gave his address as 2340 Lincoln Parkway, Chicago,
Illinois. He was assigned order number 11727 and gave
as his date of birth Pebmiary 6, 1922. As the per-
son always knowing his address, he listed his father
SIMON iiBTCLBR of 2340 Lincoln Parkivay. His employer
on tho date of registration v;as listed as the American
Export Lines, Pier P, Staten Island, Hesr/ York City.
His description as obtained fVom the r oKistration
J card is as follows: ii ,/ / ^
LETEa COPY
LETTER . . fn2^.iJ:2.
PER F.0.1.PA RSaOEOi ' '
b6
b7C
'V;
v'
1 '
APPROVED AND ^‘.‘^PEeiAL' AdEOT
FORWARDED: <'A. CHARS«
/ DO NOT WRITE IN THESE SPACES
/ y
-
. 1
/ COPIES OF THIS REPORT
5 - Bureau
5 - Heir York (1 Capt.3,B.Hixon,DI0,
3HD; 1 Col.S.V.Cpnstant,D.ofI.
2 SC)
2 - Chicago
^
, A
\
\ ^2034
Chicago Bile
#100-174:26
Race
v&ito
Height
6* 1"
Weight
160 ,
Hair
brown
Byes
brown
Complexion
light
Selective Service Status
Classified 2B until 11/22/44
la his Selective Service file are numerous requests for defearments
from liie War Shipping Adininistration requesting his service as bodied
seaman, OJhero is also a request for a deferment from CONSIANCI^/^nB of ihe
national Haratime Union on May 19, 1944 requesting a deferment for the sub;)eot
inasmuch as he was at sea and not available for induction* In April of 194:4
■tixe draft board had attempted to put tie subject into lA and had anailed him a
notice to report for pre-induction physical examination, which notice was
answered by a letter from tie svibject*s father dated April 18, 1944 on the
stationery of the Russell BSleotrio Company of 340 West Huron Street, to tae
effect that his son was at sea and ihat ho, SIMON WSXIER, was appearing for
him in response to the noinco of lA classification. Subject had been
classified lA on April 12, 1944 and was due for pre-induction physical
examination on ^ril 22, 1944. He was subsequently reclassified to 2B on
May 26, 1944 following the receipt of several telegrams from Hxe Yfar Shipping
Administration and the National Maratime Union.
Shortly after ihe subject first registered for the draft in New
York City, the draft board in Chicago apparently forwarded a questionnaire to be
filled out. This was returned to tie board on August 24, 1942 by his father,
SIMON TffiXIER, wlip stated he was returning the questionnaire as his son was on
the high seas and could not possibly fill in the questionnairo or report for
pre-induction physical. Subsequeitly the questionnaire was filled out and
signed on June 11, 1945. Apparently tie questionnaire was filled out with the
aid of the subject*s fatxer as at the end of it there was a statement as
follows:: ‘*1 have assisted the above named registrant in preparing this questionnaire
because I. am his father and he is too Jittery to write." Signed SIMON YfflXLBR.
It was noted ihat there was no social security number listed in the file and
the explanation given in the file was that it was lost at sea vdien his ship was
torpedoed.
Under educational background, the subject listed one year of liberal
arts at the University of California and it was noted that whenever any information
was required regarding his occupation he listed the National Maritime Union, S46
West 17th Street as his eaployer as well as including the phrase "various
shipping companies". He gave his classification as a seaman A* employed as
a wiper and an assistant electrician and listed his average earnings from $150
to $230 per month.
- /
Chicago File
#10(>-17A25
The mem bers of his family vj^ere listed as foll ovfs in the questionnaire:
■T SUR piT/ . br other. □ years of agej YALE, a brother, | [y ears of agej JOYCE, a /
sister, [ "nyears of age, as well as his father and mother and his wife7_®ffi3U^^
whom he married on January 16, 1943. There is also a typewritten explanatioiT'— 31:
affixed to the inside of the questionnaire to the effect that this was not
filled out mtil 1943 because the registrant was at sea vintil that time.
At the Bureau of Vital Statistics Special Agent J. J. KELLY ascer-
tained ttet the subject was issued marriage certificate number 1760495 giving his
address as 2340 Lincoln Parkway, Chicago. He listed his date of bitth as February
6, 1922, He stated it was his first marriage and on the certificate his wife’s
name was given as NANCY JANE ASKEI'IHURST, 341 Belden Avenue, Chicago. Her date
of birth was given as 1 1 and it was also her first marriage. They
were married at 341 Belden Avenue on January 16, 1943 by Judge JOHN A. SBARBAEO,
Judge of the Superior Court of Cook County, Chicago. Certificate was returned
and filed January 20, 1943.
At the Bureau of Vital Statistics birth certificate nxamber 9335
recorded the birth of HASKELL WEXIER as February 6, 1922 at the Presbytei*ian
Hospital with Doctor A. C. CANTER of 530 Diversey Blvd. in attendance. Hope
address at that time was 3845 West 13th Street, Chicago and his mother's
maiden name was listed as LOTTIiiji^ONNSELBAUM, Father and mother both declared
on their son's birth certificate they were born in Chicago. It was noted that
there is another birth certificate on file under number 9379 which is also for
HASKELL WEYLER, the date of birth being given as | 1 however,
this certificate is for the subject's cousin whose father's name is H ARRY.
J^^ySR.whose birthplace was given as Russia and whose address was at that
time 3348 Flournoy. HARRY WEXLER is an attorney and a brother of SBJON lifEXLBR.
Confidential Infoimant T-1 advised the results of a previous investiga-
tion on HARRY WEXLER but no evidence of Co/amunistic tendencies were noted at that
time. X
On September 20, 1944i(fJonfidential Informant CGO 5136, vfhose identity
is knotijn to the Bureau, advised^that one NANCY WEXLSR was to attend a meeting
of thfiS^rican Youth for Democracy. No further information is available.
Therexs no indication at the present time that this individual is identical
with the subject's wife.
A check of the indices of the Chicago Field Division reflects nuaderous
references to Mr. and Mrs. SIMON WEKLER and an investigation of the same
that SEJDN ^BSKIER is apparently a "financial contributor" for the Abrafagagfe i ^ol n
School in Chicago. The Abraham Lincoln School was forprly known m the C^cagp
Workers School and is the Communist Fi*ont Educational Institution in this Dis-
trict. The various references indicate that SIlvION ?1EXL^ has made contributions
- 3 -
V
f
Chicago File
^wiOO-17485
of v500 and vl>000 at different tijnos to the Abrahcaa Lincoln School* At one
tine SILOIT lijlSISER v^as a sponsor of the Chicago Council for Aiaorioan Soviet
Friendship and apparently donated §500 by giving it to HARR^'^IGSS vho
turned it over to the Abrahaai: Lincoln School* At another tirie CGO 51C4, whoso
identity is knom to the Bureau adviced that SIKOIT \EXLBR donated an additional
01, 000 to the school.
EBP3RRBD UPON C0MPL!:JTI0!J
10 0FPIC3 OF ORIGIN
Chicago HI©
#100-17426
COITPIEBI^TIAL IHFOMJTS
COHFIDENHAL IMOESm! 5-1
A oopy of a loyally roporh subai'bfcod by 1310 Amy Signal Corps at the
time of inTOstigatioa of HASKELL imiSR for a position vfith -Bie Signal Corps*
All roforonoOs oheokod at liiat time soomod to indioato that ther© ivas no ©vidono©
of any Coxapiunistio tondonoy on the part of tho cousin* HASKELL YffiXLSR*
standard form no. 64
ce ls/[emov(zndum • -united' st^^es government
^jOTsAO
/ 100~57568
TO
Cireetor, SlBl
DATEtpecemljer 23, 1944
• iFROM
/V^^^dsUBjECT:
' 1-
SAC, Sev York
HASgELL wnm
mamm: hastm - c
Eefereaee is ma4'e to the report of Special Agent Frederick
'A* Brownell dated Octoher 20, /lOdd, at Hew York, in the ahove-oaptioned inat~
ter. It will he noted that the only outstanding lead for the New York Field
Division was to report the findings of an inquiry to he made at the^'^ational .
Maritime Union, 314 West 27 Street, Mew York Glty« as relating to the where>
ahouts of the subject's Selective Searvice Boaard, and to report any other av>
ailahle inforoation concerning the subject.
Since the subject was a monher of the Seamen's Branch of the
> (vCommunist Party, Hew Yoik City, as of Jantiary 31, 1944, and it was suhseq.-
P uently determined that he is 3mown at the Nation^ Maritime Union, it was
» deemed inadvisable to contact the NMU to inquire about the subject. In view
9 of this, the outstanding lead for the Hew York Field division is being dis-
P regarded,
P
f> All outstanding leads being completed, this case is being
^ closed by this letter,
^ .
STANDARD FORM NO, 6A
STANDARD FORM NO, 64 llllll^
Office lAemorandum
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO
Director, TBI
SAC, Ne^Yor!
SUB^CT; HASKELL /^^ER\ was .
Haskell^enler^^Ieskell YJfexle
SECURITY MTTHR-C
Re New York letter to Bureau 12/23/44»^
DATE: October 21, 1948
This case was reopened in connection with the Security Index Project.
By letter of 9/14/48, Chicago advised that subject resides in his
father's apartment in Chicago, and that he operates a photographic
laboratory in the apartment.
The followin':- which includes all pertinent material in the New York
files not alreai^ in Chicago's possession is being furnished for their
assistances
Burlet to New York dated 7/9/45
Photograph of subject including signature
Photograph of fingerprints of subject.
"•J!
r\
'■) 4
v£-
Nj
VJ
I
M)
X
i
Information was received from a reliable and confidential soi^r^ ha-ving
access to the apartment of JA’^S SCOTTt^'IARDS and MARGARET BAILS^^rARDS,
324 lYest 24th Street, Nev/ York City, furnished to Special Agents JESCT® !L
GARLAJfD, A. ROBERT S’mNSON, J. LELIS A^'ES, YELLim H. HARPER, and TICLI-IAM
D. DUNHS on 9/28/44. This information indicated that HASKELL imLER held
1944 Communist Political Membership number S-7270.
In -view of the fact that subject is now residing in the area of the
Chicago ELeld Di-vision, the Bureau is requested to designate Chicago as the
office of origin.
CCS Chicago (100-17425)
Ends. (3)
JARsAPK
100-57568
INDEXED - 128
7
standard form no. 64 ^ ^
' Office lAenmcmdum • united stXes government
TO
Director, FBI
Neii^ork
subj4/
DATE:
November 30, 1948
H4SKELL TVEXLER, tosj
SECURITY mTTER « C
(Bureau file 62-55696)
/
Reference is made to Bureau letter of 11/8/48,
A review of the New York file reflects th^it Chicago is in possession of
all pertinent serials.
This case is considered RUC ’D,
RKORDEO ■ 108
cc Chicago (100-17425)
EX- 100
JARtHJC
100-57568
SAC,
K«i lovk llQV«b«r 8« 1948
JOHN EDGAR HOOVER, DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
RASESLl. «u
3BCUR1W iATTSH - C
Reference is made to your letter of
requesting that the office of origin he changed toe above entitled
ease.
The Bureau hereby designates
office of origin. -»»raoB|SO
_ as the
Upon receipt of this communication, the former office of
origin is requested to carefully check its file and make certain that
the new office of origin has all serials in the case containing
iinportant data.
oe • 3ACj| Odoafo
liEB:tg
COMMUNICATIONS SECTION
mailed 12
^ NOV 8 1948 P.M
ItKMl WnM OF HWESnOATNII
u.aoeMiw»tiiTOFa»nce
J
Means of Transportation: Unknown
Proposed Length of Stay: Unknown
Countries to be Visited: Brazil
Business
PASSPORT OFFICE
PT/L — Robert D*
Cs. 7^ -
lo JAh )io lyg]
1
OPflONAi* FORM NO, 10
5010-lM
UNITED STATES G<
Memorandum
dSlNMENT
mum
TO
[})%
0 %-
U^OM :
subject:
DIRECTOR, FBI (62-55696)
SAC, LOS ANGELES (IOO-60588)
date:
2/23/61
<0
HASKELL WEXLER
SM-C
00: CHICAGO
DEI.ETED COPY ||NT .
BY LETTER f: /./ •'< • --‘oii* .tsflcaamJ
The
indices of the Los Angeles Division contain
no references to captioned subject, and he has never
been the subject of a security type investigation in
this office ,
On 2/7/61, the records of the Retail Merchants
Credit Association of Los Angeles were caused to be
reviewed by SE JAMES L. MAHAN at which time it was
determined that since 1956, he was associated with L.
Sonneborn Sons, Inc., 4821 South Vermont Avenue, Los
Angeles, and since September, 1959^ was self employed
in a firm known as "Various Projects Inc., 6OOO Sunset
Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. His home address
was given as 809 North Kilkea Drive, Hollywood, California.
The records of the Retail Merchants Credit
Association, dated 2/26/60, disclosed that WEXLER was
a resident at 6950 Oporto Drive, Los Angeles, California,
and was employed as the President of Wexler Brother
Productions, I4l0 North Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles.
On 2/13/61, SA JOHN S. TEMPLE, by means of an
appropriate pretext telephone interview with an unidentified
woman in the office of Wexler Brothers Productions, 1410
North Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles, determined that
WEXLER presently resides at 6950 Oporto Drive, Los Ang eles
(Hollywood), and is the Pre^dent of Wexier .tjrouners
Productions. She stated that Mr. WEXLER would shortly
travel to Brazil for business reasons. Further, the
travel arrangements were completed by the firm Wexler
Et Guarini, Travel Agents, 9116 Sunset Boulevard, Los
Angeles.
- Bureau (REGISTE®) ^ •
2 - Chicago (REGISTERED) ( 100-17425 )
1 - LOS Angeles .
(
,S^'
b7E
JST:dl
(5)
12 FEB28 196^
A
»•
S 0 tAiJ 9 re
b6
b7C
LA 100-60588
It was disclosed by the unidentified woman that
the VJEXLER's have a financial interest in this travel
agency.
On 2 / 14 / 61 , the records of Dun and Bradst reet .
Inc., Los Angeles, were caused to be reviewed by SE L
at which time the following information was
oD-cainea concerning Wexler Brothers Productions, Inc.,
I4l0 Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles:
'^he company is an Illinois corporation which was
chartered on 7/14/58. The corporation was domesticated
in California on 7/31/58. Authorized capital, 10,000
shares of $1.00 par value common stock and 100 shares
of Class A, $1,000 par value preferred stock. On II/ 7 / 58 ,
Dun and Bradstreet interviewed YALE WEXLER, principal,
who stated that the headquarters for this corporation
was located at 120 South La Salle Street, Chicago,
Illinois. He further stated that he operates the Wexler
Investment Company, I 889 North Crescent Heights Boulevard,
Los Angeles. He stated that all operations for subject
corporation are conducted from Chicago and the principal
bank utilized is the Chicago National Bank.
On 2/13/61. r
3
] was Interviewed by
at which time the following was ascertained:
HASKELL "PETE" liIEXLER is a motion picture cameraman
who belongs to Local 666, Chicago, Illinois. He comes
from a very wealthy Chicago family, and is rumored to be
a millionaire in his own right. However, he has a burning
desire to be a first cameraman and has threatened to sue
Local 659 for a million dollars since the Local has
denied him first cameraman status. He does, however,
work out of the Chicago Local as a first cameraman on
motion picture productions which are made in areas not
under the Jurisdiction of Local 659^ Los Angeles.
b6
b7C
b6
b7C
2 -
T
LA 100-60588
He is allowed to work out of Local 659 j Los
Angeles, as an assistant cameraman or operator. His
most recent motion picture assignments as a cameraman
were "Studs Lonigan, " a motion picture which was photographed
in the mid west and completed at Hal Roach Studios,
Culver City, California, a nd one oth er picture, the name
of which was unrecalled by | t IaEIXLER has not, as
yet, produced a motion picture, but has no hesitancy in
investing money in motion pictures on which he can serve
as a cameraman. x / , ^
/g_ m^.x A ^
V , HASKELL MEXLER has a 'brother by the nanje of.
YALE>5^XLER, an acicai, who is married to LIi HDA':i8^STAL^
an a ctre ss. YALE VJEXLER operates a travex oureau in
Los "Angeles, possibly the Wexler Et Guarini Travel Agency.
b6
b7C
■)(/c /"
] who has furnished reliable information
b6
b7C
b7D
in the pa|t. (conceal) on February 17^ I96I, advised
SA
that HASKELL IffflXLER is a very wealthy man who
travels with an intellectual and wealthy social group
in the Los Angeles area. He recalled that lilEXLER's
father left his sons a large number of shares of Superior
Oil Company valued at $30-00 per share, which they later
sold for $1800.00 per share. In addition, the WEXLER
brothers are reported to be the owners of the Allied
Radio Corpor ation of Am erica, vjith headquarters in Chicago,
according to
This company is reportedly one
of the lar gest; eieGt;rQnic firms in the United States.
_|^stated Mr. WEXLER and his brother, YALE, have
"Terrific " financial connections throughout the United
States and have no difficulty in obtaining funds for
investment in motion pictures.
[advised that on Thursday, February
16, 1961, ne was able to ascertain that HASKELL WEXLER
will leave for Brazil within txvo weeks where he will
stay for an undetermined length of time . He will work
as the first cameraman on a motion picture, as yet untitled,
which will be produced by CHARLES GUGGENHEIM.
b6
b7C
b7D
- 3 -
LA 100-60588
On 2/17/61. SA MERIE L. PARKER contacted
and I I both of whom are familiar with
•cne activities
and
membership of the Professional -
Cultural Section, Southern California District, Communist
Party, viherein WEXLER would be a member or well known
if active in the Communist Party, Los Angeles, but they
advised that WEXLER was completely unknown to them.
b7D
-4-
1
FD-I28a (6-23-60)
OfTiONAi FOKM NO. 10
j010>104~01
UNITED STATES JpVERNMEl
Memormdum
iVERNMENT
subject:
n
Director, FBI (Bufile - 62-55696
SAC CHICAGO (100-17425)
HASKELL J'ffiXLER, aka.
Pete Wexier
SM - C
date: 3/8/61
' —
The captioned individual has been the subject of a security Investigation by this office. The
.I 4 QS AngOlGS Division has verified the permanent presence of the subject in its division as
j ana working at the addresses listed below. The LOS AD^GIGS Division is being
residing ana working at the addresses listed below. The
considered the new office of origin. ^
Residence address
.l^®Aiige^le^_ Calif ornia
Business address
Wexler Brothers Productions '
1410 N. Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles,
California
Chec k th e following applicable statements:
I I This individual has been the subject of a Reserve Index Card (Section B).
i 1 This individual is the subject of a "Section A" Reserve Index Card. (The Bureau is requested to make the
appropriate changes in the Reserve Index at the Seat of Government. The
Division should affix the addresses reflected above and the appropriate case file number.)
The following pertinent items are being forwarded to the new Office of Origin with its copies of this letter:
□ Reserve Index Cards
Serials (specify)
i I Photograph of subject (check appropriate item listed below)
f— -I Negative and three copies of most recent or best likeness photograph.
□ None available.
I 1 previously furnished.
Registered Mail
CC:
Enclosure(s) ( 2 )
Photostats of
Report being prepared.
Photostats of: Report of SA FREDERIC A. BR017NELL,
10/20/44, at New York.
Report of SA WILLIAM A. FLYNN, Jr.,
11/23/44, at Chicago. .^7
(Lead is outstanding to \7F0 to review passport records.)
2 - Bureau (RM)
2 - Los Angeles (ends. 2)
1 - Chicago
HSNtnjc
(5)
'•/SL
-
)/
ECIJ^SSIFIOlTICM MJTSMIfU: I3ERn?ED FRO,!:
■FBI JillTOMIlTIC nECLASSIFICIkTION OTIDE
DATS 0 S-2a -201€ BY: C331f47E40
' «■ #
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
M'j i /6
Reporting Office
CHICAGO
TITLE OF CASE /i
CHANGED^ 7
HASKELL "V/MLER , aka
PeteCWexl^
Office of Origin
LOS ANGELES
Dote
6/7/61
Report made by
InveBtigotive Period
1/31 - 5/23/61
Typed By;
rmh b6
Approved
DELETED 1
DY LETTE5
REFERENCES: FD- 128 a dated 3/ 8/61
WFO letters to Chicago, 4/10/61 and 4/19/61
Chicago letter to San Francisco, 4/26/61.
9
LEADS4S2^7XS^3
- RUC -
REQ.
OCT 2 0 1964
IX)S ANGELES DIVISION ANS,J2/>ov
AT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA | * -=='
1. Will take any action deemed necessary regaraing
WEXLER. , /
2. Will await results of investigation requested
at San Francisco by letter.
Special Agent
In Charae
Do not write in spaces below
ureau
os Angeles
hicago ( 10
CG 100-17425
AmilNISTPATIVK
JL
Careful consideration has been ^jiven to each source
concealed in this report and T symbols were ut Hissed only in
those instances where the identities of the sources riust be
concealed.
This report is classified “ooni'idontial ” because it
contains information from anonymous sources which are confidential
Bureau techniques,
Los .in^eles is in possession of a suitable photoffraph
of the subject.
There is no inforination in the Chicajjo files indicating:
that subject has ever boon interviewed.
Pretext used on 2/9/01 v/as by SA I 1 1
who telephonically contacted a woman at DB 7-6256, who
identified herself as Mrs, LOTTIE 190 East Pearson,
Chicago, Illinois, the F.other of HASKELL v/lKLBR, Pretext
utilized was that of a forsier shipeate of the subject \;ho
was passin >5 through town.
On 2/13/61, SA JOHN S, TI?h>LE utilized tm aporopriate
pretext telephone interview with a.» unidentified wonan in the
office of Vtexlor Brothers Productions , 1410 North VanNess
Avenue, Los Angeles, California.
The records of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and
Navigation were searched at New York in 1945 by an unknovm
employee of the New York Office.
F5 les of the Chicago Of fice contained n o identifiable
subversive lnforir<ation rog9.rding | «
I Ho recommendation is being made for subject *s
j inclusion on the Securitj' Index or the Reserve Index j however,
I attention is directed to the past cubYorsive activities of I
I V/EXLEft which apparently have cea’-ied in the Los Angelos area,’
his frequent ti*avels ;ibroad vrith the suita.ble cover as
photographer, the subversive background of bis wife and his
family, and the substantial wealth that is apparently available
to his fanily.
B
COVIR PAGJi;
CG 100-X7423
IN^ORMAOTS
(requested)
CG T-2 ^ 100-17423-2
Selective Service Records,
Board 143, Chicaf^o, Illinois
CG T-3 ^
Anonymous Source
CG T-4
Anonymous . Source
CG T-5 / 100-125-6907
Security Unit, 100-125-7443 p.l
Chicago Police Department, 100-20627-78 p.2
Chicago, Illinois 100-19003-827
100-19003-826 p.9
100-19003-1247 p,2
100-1078-257
100-22329-82 p.8
CG T-6
Anonyr ious • Source
100-3810-413 p.5
100- 14644- IBS
100-3810-1B9 (17)
100-16476-17
C
COVER PAGE
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
b7D
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
CG 100-17425
Source
CG T-11
Anonynouo Source
ra
(requested)
CG T-13
AIlonylT^ou£J Source
CORREOT IHFOHMNT CONTACTS
Location
121-3586
Source
Date
File
3/7/61
100-174;
4/6/61
ft
3/20/61
3/31/61
It
3/31/61
ft
4/4/61
ft
3/27/61
ft
3/27/61
tt
4/3/61
It
4/3/61
tl
3/28/61
tt
3/31/61
ft
3/29/61
tl
4/11/61
It
4/21/61
tt
2/17/61
100-174:
2/17/61
ft
DOCWmNTATION OP ORGANIMTIONS
Orgeaniaation Source
CCASF
Progressive Party of
Illinois
COVKE PAGE
l?I>-204: (Rev. 3-3-5Q^
UlJl^l
D STATES DEPARTMENT OF J
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
lft“lCE
Copy to:
Report of;
Date:
SAl
6 / 17 ^
Field Office File No,: 100*- 17425
Title: HASKELL \7EXLER, also known
as Pete ?/exler
Office: Chicago, Illinois
Bureau File No,; 62-55696
b6
b7C
Character: SECURITY MATTER - c
Synopsis;
iThe alias
Jfrom
PETE T/EXLER has been
Chicago
Wexler Brothers Productions,' and resides at 6950 Oporto
wEXLER v/as born 2/6//
i75^7
tduct
' Rj,
added to t he title per information
I ^n 2/13/61. HASKELL
Illinois,' is employed by
b6
b7C
Drive, Los Angles.' Background ^formation regarding WEXLER
is set forth, He reportedly wa^ active during 1940 and 1941
in the American Student Union 9^4 was clc^ely connected
with the Communist Party (CP) J In 1944 he held membership
in the Communist Political Association.' He was named as a
member of the CP at Chiicago in 1946 and his automobile was i
observed in the vicinixy of mass CP meetings in 1948 and 1950
at Chicago, Illinois.' A relative by marriage described Y/EXLER
in 1954 as a communist sympathizer./ His name v/as in possession
of the Chicago Council of American-Soviet Friendship in 1949-
and on the 1951-52 mailing list oy the Chicago Council of
Arts, Sciences, and Professions. 'His name was in possession
of the “Daily \7prker” and “The Y/orker“ for 1949 and 1951’ as a
subscriber and /he was listed as a subscriber for 1943 to
“Nev/ Masses,” 'His automobile v/as in the vicin^y of Progressive
Party affairs in 1949-50 at Chicago, Illinois."^ His
automobile v/as in the vicinity of a meeifing of the Veterans
of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade ^ 1952^^ and a rally of the
World Peace Congress in 1951, ^
- RUC -
\
(b
1
This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBf. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and
its contents are not to be distributed outsidfe your agency*
CG 100-17425
PTSTAILS:
The* iollov/in^'X orfjanifs.Ttions, montionod in thi© report,
have been de&ijjnated bv the Attorney General oi the United
States pursuant to I3xecutive Order 10450:
AbrahatfS Lincoln School;
Ar?©ricaia Youth for Oerocracy;
Cornunist Political Association;
Co’-munist Party (CP) , USA ;
Voti 2 irans of the Abrahata Lincoln Brigade.
The follov'injT or^anij^.ations , Pientioned in this report
which have not been desijjnated by the Attorney General of the
United States pursuant to Executive Order 10450, are characterised
in the attached appendix pages:
Chicago Council of Ajaerica-n-Soviet friendship (CCASF);
Chicago Council of Arts, Sciences, a-nd Professions;
Progressive Party ,of Illinois .
I . BACKGEOUITO
Birth
The files of the Passport Office, OepartMont of State,
h^ashington, D, C., wex'O rovlex/ed hy SAPlUL F. I'CRIilSON on
?!arch 29, 1961, and indicated that HASKELL \7EXLEE in an
application dated June 26, 1942, stat'^^d be had been born in
Chicago, Illinois, on February 6, 1922, to SIflOH :ind LOTTIE
WEJILEH, both born in Chicago, Illinois,
Present Employment
On February 9, 1961, it v;as ascertained under
suitable pretext that HASKELL WEXL6E is employed in the
“film industry”.
On February 7, 1961, the records of the Hot ail
Tlox’chants Cx'odit Association of tos Angeles, Cn.li£ornia, wore
caused to be reviev;ed by SE JA?'.ES L, ?5AHAM and the records
dated February 26, 1960, disclosed that WASICELL WEXLER
was employed as the President of Wexler Brothers Productions,
1410 North VanNess Avenue, Los Angeles.
2 -
I
CG 100-17425
On February 13, 1961, it v/as ascertained under
suitable pretext that WEXLFR is the President of Wexlor Brothers
Productions and is shortly travclin*]: to Brazil for business
reasons and that the travel arranf]jenents were cop^pleted by
the firro \/Gxler It Guarini, Travel Agents, 9116 Sunset Boulevard,
Los Angeles, Ca.lifornia, It was learned tha.t the V/EXLBPs
have a financial interest in this travel agency.
On February 14, 1961, the records of ?lun and Bradst reet ,
Inc . . L os Angeles, were caused to be reviewed by SB | |
I at which time the following informtion was obtained
concerning Wexler Brothers Productions, Inc., 1410 VanKoss
Avenue, Los Angelos:
The company is an Illinois corporation which v/as
chartered on July 14, 1953, The corporation domesticated
in California on July 31, 1958. Authorized capital, 10,000
shares of Al.OO par value common stock and 100 sha,rGS of
Class A, :,>i,000 par value preferred stock. On November 7, 195S,
Dun and Bradstreet intorvier/ed YALB V/EXLSE, principal, v;ho
stated that the headquarters for this corporation was located
at 120 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois. Me further
stated that he operates the Wexler Investment Company, 1889 North
Crescent Heights Boulevard, Los Angeles. He stated that all
operations for subject corporation are conducted irom Chicago
and the principal bank utilized is the Chicago National Bank,
S. TJSJyiPLE at v/hich time the following was ascertained:
HABlOfLL **Pete‘* V/IXLBR is a motion picture camerap»an
vho belongs to LoCtTl 666, Chicago, Illinois. He comes
from a very v/ealthy Chicago fasiily, and is rumored to be
a millionaire in his ovm right. Ilov/ever, ho ha-s a burning
desire tob? a first casieraman and has threatened to sue
Local 639 for a million dollars since the Local has
denied him first camerDnan status. He does, hovrever, work
out of the Chico.go Local as a first cameraRian on motion
picture productions which are made in areas not under the
jurisdiction of Local 659, Los Angeles.
He is al lov^ed to v;ork out of Loc.al 639, Los Angeles
as a.n assistant camoramfn or operator,
motion picture assignments as a camerai-
His most recent
vn w’orc* ”8tuds Lonigan
ft
3
CG 100-X7425
r
a motion picture which Y^as photos: I'aphed in tSie Mid \/OGt
and completed at Hal Roach Studios, Culver City, Caliiornio.,
and one other picture, the n'lmo oi which \va.s unrecallod by
I I \vHxLeR has not, as yot, produced a notion picture,
but has no hesitancy in investinjs money in motion pictures on
which he can serve as a- cariOrar an.
b6
b7C
^ HAJiKSLG WETCLRR has a brother by the oi %
, an actor, who is riarriod to hlHDA fCRIbTAt*, an
aettf^s, YAhii VdiXh.'SP operates a travel bureau I in los Angeles,
pdssiblv the We::lor Bt Guarini Travel Afjency.
CG T-1 on February 17, 1961, advised that HASKQLh
WMhER is a very wealthy mn who travels with an intellectual
and wealthy social rjroup in the Los Anj^jeles area* He recalled
that v/MLFR*s la,ther left his sons a large number oi shares oi
Superior Oil Company valued at i^JSO.OO per share, which they later
sold Jor 1)1600.00 per shax*e. In addition, the WESiLER brothers
are reported to be the ov/ners oi the Allied Radio Corporation
oi America, with headquarters in Chicago, according to CG T-1.
This company is reportedly one of the largest elect ronic iiyBHp — .
in th e United States. CG T-1 stated ?.?r, V/KILFR and I 1
[ have ’^teri'iiic** t'inancia.1 connections throughout the United
States and have no difficulty in obtaining funds for investment
in motion pictures.
CG T-1 advised that on Thursday, February 16,
1961, he was able to ascertain that HASKKLL V,'SX?jBf* will lea-vo
for Brazil within two weohs v/here he will stay for sin
undetermincid length of time. He will work as the first
cameraman on a K^iotion picture, as yet untitled, which will be
produced by CHARLES GUGGEKHHI?'.
On ?!arch 28, 1961, an item appeared in ’*Kup*s Column**
of the ‘'Chicago Sun Times,*’ a daily newspaper, which
reflected the following:
"Chicagoan YALE Y/LXLLR returns here Friday from
Holly^vood to discuss entering the real estate business
with brother JERROLU. YALE’s bride, LINDA CRISTAL, may
call a temporary halt to her novie career to become a
Chicago housewife. .. .Another of the ta3.ented WBXLER
brothers, HASKELL, was the cameraman (chief oi cinematography)
on *'The Hoodlum Priest," which may turn out to be the movie
sleeper of the year,,,.**
- 4 -
CG 100-17425
Former BjiDloyment
On July 8, 1948; Mrs. BlWriM A, SEIPP, 105 South
LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois, adVised SA WIIAiIAM L. RTAM , i
that HASKELL WEXLER resided at 2340 Littcoln ^rh West, Chicago,
and was runaihg a phQtpgraii>hic laboratory apparently in his
apartment.
Street,
On October 13 , 1954 , JOHN FOLSOK^IiiOOTIiAN . 221 151
£e , 1 llinols , ady ised SI GEj^fflOE STABflni]
/free lance jsoviiig cameraman and
had contracted to take notion pictures of nine football games
in the f All of 1954. Also he is doing motion pictures for
Si^tE Al^OLD* He hires an assist Ant and has a studio somewhere
.in'ChicsWo.
The files of the Passport Office, Washington, D. C.j
as reviewed by SA HORRISON on Marbh 29, 1961, contained an
. ^ipplicatioh on May 28, 1954, Which reflected that he planed
to leave the Port of New York about Angust 1, 1954, to visit
^igland and France to make an educational motion picture ^n
the' life of WIMJAW SHAKESPEARE. He listed his occupation as
motion pic turd cameraman.
:/
X
On Febnuary 7, 1961, the records of the Retail
Merchants Credit Association of Los Angeles as reviewed by 1-
SE MAhaiI reflected tHat since 1956 HASKELL WEXLER was associated
With L. Sonneborn Sons, ihc, , 4821, South Vermont Avenue,
Los Angeles, and sihce September, 1959, was self employed
in a f irm known as .-yarlous Projects, Inc. , 6000 Sunset ElouleVard,
Los Angeles, Cal if orhia.
Ihresent Residence
It was ascertained under suitable pretext on
February 9, 1961, tHatHAHKELL WEXLER was residing at that
time at 6950 Oporto Drive, Los Angelos^
It was ascertained under suitable pretext on
February 13, 1961, that WEXLER at that time resided at
6959 Oporto Drive, Los Angeles (Hollywood),
FormerwHesidence
\
The Office of Naval Intelligence furnished the
Office, no date listeH, a card on HASKELL WEXLER,
v
- 5 -
b6
b7C
j
CG 100-I74.‘?5
2340 Lincoln P.irk, Chicaf*:o, v^hich roilected that Itc* attended
the (Jnivenaity o£ Calilornia, BerJeeloy, dorin:^ 1940—11 and hi;.:
address was listed as 2522 Ride:© Street , B©rt:olcy, Caliiornia,
The iiles of the Bwrean of ?!arine Inspection and
Navigation contained a record for HASICELL W®T<L3R, horn Febrnary 6,
1922, at Chicaf'o, Illinois, who listed a. 1940 address as
2340 Lincoln )?arh \7ost, Chicajto, Illinois, a.nd a 1943 address
as 215 V/est ISth Street, Ncv?/ York City,
On July 8, 1948, Mrs. SEIPP advised SA BYAN that
HASivQLL WEXLER resided at 2340 Lincoln Park West, Chicaf:o,
at that time.
On October 13, 1934, Mr. CLOUTIBIN advised SA STADTiULLsiB
that HASKELL MJuKLEK v/as residin^: at 6240 North Hoyne, Chicaf^o,
at that txy^o.
On February 7, 1961, the records of the Retail
Merchants Credit Association of Los An^'oles, as revievred by
SS f'AHilN, reflected that V/EXLSR had listed a hoii?»o address
at 809 North Kilkea Drive, Holly^vood, California,
Education
The Office of Naval Intellij^ence furnished the
Chicago Office, no date listed, a card on HASKBLL WEXLER,
2340 Lincoln Park, Chicago, which reflected that he was a
first year student in Letters and Sciences at the University of
California, Berkeley, California., during the school year of
1940-41.
Marital Status \ i ■ >
/Ml ^ ^ ‘
/I'jjiwe files ofAthe Bureau of Marine Inspection and
Navigation ' lor .HASKELll^iyEXLER reflected that he naraed his
next of kin in 1943 as ‘MNCY, wife, 215 Vcsst ISth Street,
New York City. He listed hm* address in Janua.ry, 1944, as
67 Morton Street, Nev; York City. Her address as of May 20,
1944, and July 8, 1944, was 2340 Lincoln Park, Chicago,
Illinois. As of ?!arch 2, 1943, it v;as listed as 341 Bolden
Avenue, Chicago, Illinois,
CG lOp- 1742a
On October 13, 1054, Wr, CIOUTMN advised that
JIASKSLL YJSCjbER is piai*^^ried to his sistor-in-law, J1AEIAN hEXL^R,
daw'hter oi Mrs, A, KaV/ITT, 22_l„15th- Street , Wilmette,
Illinois. He stated jbtlat HASKELL has tv;o children by a
ijrevious marriage .
Piles of the Pa,ssport Office as reviewed by
3A I!OI?RISON on March 29, 1961, reflect that on May 28, 1954,
V/EXLEE filed an application living his address as 6240 ^ortl
Hoyne Street, Chicago, and stated he had Harried MARIAtX WIT' ~
on January 11, 1952, tha.t she ho-d been born in HeioTt, ‘
vfisconsin, on| [ and was residing at 6240 North
Hoyne Street.
It v;as/44e<'rto,inod\mdGr suitable pretext on
February 9, 1961, that HASKELTM/KKLSR. is married for t he second
time to a girl named MAEIAN an^that they have a | [yep,r~old
child and reside at 6950 Oporto wrive, Los Angeles. , , /
Military Service
b6
b7C
' ~ ~ ' ' Files of the Bureau of Marine Inspedfon and Nn.vigation
reflect .a record for HASKELL WEXLEE, born February 6, 1922,
at Chicago, Illinois, who was issued permanent Certificate of
Identification Z-4S4S1 and Certificate of Service as
Ordinary Seaman E-215059 July 9, 1940, at San Irancisco,
California. Cer-tificate E~215659 was endorsed for assistant
electrician January 21, 1942, at New York City. He also holds
Certificate of Service Number A-9S215 and Certificate of
EfUiciency as Lifeboat man B-S0307 which v;as issued April 1,
1943, a.t Boston, Massachusetts,
The record of this seaman at the War Shipping
Administration discloses that a request for his deferment
was sent local Board 145, Chicago, Illinois, on November 6,
1944, and that the request for his deferment was
withdrawn Jfey 15, 1945. Records of his Sea service are set
forth:
7 -
CG 100-17425
Da.te o£
Place o£
Date of
Place oi
Nair^o oi Vessel
.Rating
Shipment
Shipnient
Dischairge
Discharge
Sb /i.r:Grican
Fi slier
Ordina,ry Sea
-2/S/43
Hev; Yorl:
3/19/43
L?,ke Cliai‘]»s
S^^b-atfear
Sb FkcbIIo
rjnn
u
1/14/42
Neu York
3/17/42
Kev; York'
7/7/42
ifer; Yorli
13/29/42
Hew York
Vessel torp
edoed and sunli 1
SS !’etinticut
Able S?a£in,n
4/C/43
Boston
6/9/43
Hew York
SS '"eanticat
Able Seaaaan
7/4/43
Nea Yoi’h
9/7/43
New York
SS Asa Gra,y
.Ictin*^ 3rd !’ate 10/25/43 Uev: Yorli
11/3/43
Ba-ltimor©
SS Asa. Gray
Acting Srd ?!
ate 11/6/43 Baltimore
3 1/27/44
Baltimore
SS 0*?1, Clarson
Able Seaman
4/2/44
Fairport ,Ohio 4/18/44
S. Chicago
Failed to
join
SS FosGliud
,';.blc Seaman
4/18/44
Neiv York
5/20/44
Norfolk, Va.
SS ilosebud
Abie Seaman
5/21/44
KorfoJk
7/8/44
New York
^^Bonjaviiin
I-HP<ins
3rd ?!ate
12/13/44
Philadelplil
a 3/2/45
Nev' York
CG 100-17425
Crlr^inal
On Febx'tiary 20 , 19G1, XC I I yeviev/od
the files of the Bureau of Eecords oitd CojreTmnications, Chicaj^o
Police Departnent, and could locate no record identifiable
\7ith HASI03LL V/IXLBR.
Identification Record
On February 20, 1961, the Identification Oivinion
of the FBI furnished the Chica/^jo Office a National Defense
Proj^ra^ fingerprint card for HASTCSDL born February 6 ,
1922, at Chicago, Illinois, ^! 7 ho on !!arch 5, 1943, tvas finger-
printed for a Coast Guard identification card by the Identification
Officer, Captain of the Port of New Yorh, United States
Co? St Guard, Rootr. 209, Barge Office, New Yorlx, New York,
Relatives
Files of the Passport Office reviov;ed by SA J'OIiRISON
on !;!arch 29, 1961, reflected that ^/BXLPlJsMied an’^^^pplication
on October 8 , 1938 ,, stating that hili foxX'/ 3 r 7 "Jr^I!''ON^^/FXT.^^^
is deceased, tha^^ni^ mother, LOTTXi^^iBJ-'DFR, bo.<y''jVu ne 0,
1902, at Chicago, vrt'S currently livin>r at 1 90 7g»st ,
C^cago, and that his ?;if©, MARIAN WBXLBE, was residing
^ 6950 Opoyto Drive, Los Angeles, California,
■ ”7 f.
It was ascertained under suitable prete xt on
February 9, 1961, that HASKELL V/BXLER has a I K ycax--old.
child by his wife, MARIAN. \\*j. /I / '/' » ,,
-< i- ^ - .. ” 7 ^ ■ / / t /
CG T-2 advised in 194^' that HASKELL Mmhmr^xn
J\me 26, 194 2 , l isted as menbers of his faiiily a brother,
AERilOW, age □ a brother YALE ^ age □□ sister JOYCE,
‘ 13*3 I I and a wife NANCY, whom h© married on January 16,
- - - •-*/ '» r 1 !: f ^ ■
It was asc 0 rthjChed~imder suitable pretext on
February 9, 1961, that YAX<S WEKLEE on Decenber 21, 1960,
married J^irUXA CRISTAL, fosnale star of ’*Th© Alamo.”
An article appeared in the Thursday, May 4,
1961, issue of "Chicago Sun Times” which reflected that a
nevf building will be constructed at Michael Reese Medical
Center, Chicago, Illinois, and that a gift of Jpl50,000 for
starting the £^400,000 building was i^ade by Mrs, SIMON WEXLER,
Chicago, President of the SlMiOlT and lOTTIE WBXLER Founda.tion,
and that the late SI?10H \/JiXLER was a pioneer in the radio
industry and founder of Allied Radio Corporation,
b6
b7C
b6
b7C
b6
b7C
CG 100-1^425
Other Information Regardlag HASKELL WKKLER
On October 13, 1954, Mr. CLOUTMAN advised SA STADTMILLER
that. MARIAN and HASK^jL WEXXiJQl made a trip to Guatamalai
about a.v'year previously.
Files of the Passport Office as reviewed by
SA MORRISON on Harch 29, 1961, indicated that BASl^LL WEXLER
was issued a Seaman's Passport Number 38012 on September 4,
1942. He indiCsted he had previously traveled to Europe on
his father's passport from July , 1932-33 , to Sepitember, 1932-33.
He served aboard the **SS Chatham*' from April 14, 1942, to
May 17 y 1942. On May 28, 1954,' he filed an application for
passport stating he intended leaving the Port of New Toirk
■^ abdut August 1, 1954, by . ship to visit England and France
Intending to mi^e ah educational motion picture on the life
of WiLlylAM SHAKESPEARE. In connection with this application < ^
the State Department by letter dated July 17, 1954, advised /
WEXLER that his application had been disapproved under
State Department regulations inasmuch as it had been
alleged that he had been a communist. He was given 30 days
to answer this letter but he did not answer and no passport
was issued him. On October 8, 1958, he filed ah application
for passport at los Angeles stating hO planned on leaving
the Port of New York by Pan^^American Airlines about December,
1958, to visit the United Kingdom, France, and Italy primarily
for pleasure and possibly Some business. He planned to
stay abroad about two months. Passport Number 1073467 was
|iSBued on October 13, 1958.
IV I
This passport number was renewed at Los Angeles on
Ovember 20, 1960, in ansWer to a letter wherein he advised
e was planning on traveling to Brazil on a business trip
March 1, 1961.
Credit
On February 10, 1961, IC I I could ,,
locate nO record identifiable with WEXLER at the Chicago \
^.Credit Bureau, Inc., Chicago. |
II. CONNECTIONS WITH THE CP, USA
The Office of Naval Intelilgence fuxnished the
/Chicago Office, no date listed, a card on HASKELL WEXLER,
2340 Lincoln Park, Chicago, which reflected he was a student
t the University of. California , Berkeley , California , during
file
- 10 -
7
b6
b7C
i
CG 100-17435
the school year of 1940-41, that he was the. son of a
pr<xninent lia^nu in Chicago and that while at this
school held various offiees in the American Student Union
and was closely connected with the CP.
/I^e American Student Union has been cited as
subversive and Un-^American.
(Special Sub-Comnittee of
the House Ccnamittee on
Appropriations , Report ,
4/21/43, page 3)
HASKELL WEKLER in 1944 held 1944 CommuhiSt Political U
Association membership number S-7270.
(CG T-3, 9/28/44)
Mr. and Mrs, WEXLER, 341 Be Iden Avenue, Chicago 14, i ^
Illinois, were among thoee who were members of the CP in ,
the Chicago area in 1946,
(CG T-4, 5/3/46)
An automobile registered to HASKELL WEKLER was [
observed in the vicinity of the Ashland Boulevard Auditorium
October 10, 1948, during a mass meeting of the CP.
(CG T-5, lQ/29/48)
An automobile registered to HASKELL WEKLER was
observed in the vicinity of Hlrsch Lyceum on Augost 26,
1950, where a meeting was being held; under the auspices of
the State Committee of the CP.
(CG T-5, 8/50)
On October 13, 1954, Mr. CLOUTMAN advised SA STADTMILLER
that he believes HASKELL and MARIAM WEKLER are comamnist
sympathizers. He stated that he noticed several copies in .
1949 or 1950 ol the "Daily Worker” plus a book on the theory
of socialism in MARIAN WITT* s bedroom. He stated he later
heard that MARIAM received the *’Daily Worker” from HASKEU.
who was then her. fiance. HASKELL Stated that if he were
recalled during the Koredn War he would not bear arms as the
Korean War was an agrarian movement and was of no concern f)
to the united States. '
CG loo-mso
The “Daily Worker*' was an East Coast comunist
nowspanor which suspended publication on January 13, 195S.
Attention is directed to Section I o£ this report
whereby the State Departnent refused V/BXLFE his application
dated Pay 28, 1954, for passport inast-mch as it had been
all 0 { 50 d that he v/as a coE^raunist,
Current Informant Contacts
Confidential sources, who are j'enorally familiar
with CP and/or CP front jjroup activities in the Chicago area,
were contacted in !!arch and April, 1961, and could furnish
no current pertinent information regarding WBXLER,
On February 17, 1961, sources who are fmiiliar
with the activities and membership of the Professional
Cultural Section, Southern California, District, CP, were
conta,cted and advised that WEXLFR v/as coFispletely unknov/n to
them.
III, MISCELLANEOUS
Chicago Council of American-
Soviet Friendship (CCASF)
In 1949 the name of HASKELl, WEXLKR, 341 Belden
Avenue, Chica,go, Illinois, was in the possession of the
CCA8F.
<CG T-6, 10/12/49)
Chica,go Council of Arts,
Sciences, and Professions (CCA8P)
An automobile registered to HASKBLL WEXLBR wa-s
observed in the vicinity of the 11th Street Theater, Chicago,
on January 6, 1951, during Gala Theater Night, held under
the auspices of the CCASP.
(CG T-5, 2/3/51)
ALBERT JONAS KAPLAN, 19545 Hemingv/ay Street, Reseda,
CJ>lifornia, advised on J^y 9, 1952, that HASKELL v/EXLER
of Chicago was on the general mailing list o5 the CCASP,
1951-53/ KAPLAN furnished th.ls information to SA J. J, OALY,
CG 100-X7425
**Daily W’orker**
The name of: HASKELL \L'S:LSa, 2340 Lincoln ParJc W^st,
Chicago, TOS in the pos, session of the “Daily yorkex’“ and ^
“Tho Worker** as a subscriber for 1949 and 1951,
(CG T-7, 3/2S/52)
“The Worker” is a.n East Coo.st coFumunist v/eekly
no?/spapor *
“Not/ f^asses”
HASKELL UBKLER, 2340 Lincoln Park West, Chicago,
as of November 28, 1943, v/a 3 ct sul>scx“ibor *fco **Hcw PIusbos •
(CG T-S, 1943)
“New Hasses” is a “cotMunist pei'iodical.”
(Attorney General FRANCIS
BIDDLE, Congressional Record,
9/24/42, pa,ge 7688)
Progressive Party
An automobile registered to HASKELL T/EXLIR wa.s ^ .
observed in the vicinity of the Chicago Civic Opera House
on April S, 1949, during a Meeting sponsored by the Progressive
Party.
(CG T-.5, 5/3.9/49)
: • ' #
CG 100-17425
An automobile registered to HASKELL WEXLER was
observed In the vicinity of the Coliseum, Chicago, on April 29,
1949, during a Progressive Party Rally for Peace.
(CG T-5, 5/19/49)
A car registered to HASKELJj WEXLER was observed ,
in the vicinity of a mass election rally under the auspices
of the Progressive Party at Chicago, on September 16, 1950.
(CG T-5, 10/27/50)
Veterans of the Abraham
Lincoln Brigade (VALB)
On April 25, 1952, a meeting of the VALB was held
at 1547 North Leavitt Street, Chicago, and a car registered
to HASl^LL WEXLER of 6240 North Hoyne, Chicago, was observed
; parked in the vicinity.
(CG T-5, 5/13/52)
World Peace Congress
In March, 1951, a ’’Destination Peace” Rally was ^
held under the auspices of the Chicago Welcoming Committee
for the delegates of the World Peace Congress at the Coliseum,
Chicago « Cair registered to HASKELL WEXLER was observed parked
in the vicinity.
(CG T-6, 3/26/51)
The World Peace Congress was cited as a communist '
front ’’Active in the recent peace offensive after World
War II.”
(Internal Security Sub-
committee of the Senate
Judiciary Committee , Handbook
for Americans S. Doc. 117,
April 23, 1956^ page 96,
also pages 59 and
Information Pertaining
to SIMON WEXLER
A letterhead of the CCASF in 1953 listed as a
sponsor SIMON WEXLER.
(CG T-9, 1/29/53)
- 14 -
CG 100-17425
It was learned that in the latter part of 1948
during a discussion pertaining to communism and Russia ! • '\
SIMON WEXLER continuously supported the policy of Russia; ‘ '
and communism speaking in a laudatory manner of STALIN.
(CG T-IO, 1 / 49 )
On October 13, 1954, Mr. CLOUTMAN advised that SIMON *
WEXLER made a large donation when the Red Dean of Canterbury
Was in Chicago around 1950.
Information Pertaining
to LOTTIE WEXLER
It was suggested in March, 1945, that LOTTIE WEXLER
be invited to join the Board of the Abraham Lincoln School.
It was remarked that this action would please SIMON WEXLER.
(CG T-11, 3/45)
Information Pertaining
to JOYCE RAYNA WEXLER
JOYCE R Am
torn I L
"To the university
/ Chi
.2340 Lincoln Park West.
id LOT^Ijs WJKKLER, ma.<fe api
Chicago. She reflected previous
Licatlon
education at Carleton College, Northfield . Minnesota . September
1944, to June, 1945. Under space for activities she listed
American Youth for Democracy.
(CG T-12, 2/51)
\ (
Infonuation Pertaining
to YALE WEXLER
YALE WEXLER, 2340 Lincoln Park West, Chicago 14,
Illinois, was a subscriber to “The Worker” as of October,
1951.
(CG T-13, 8/26/55)
IV. DESCIIPTIOW
The following is a composite description of HASKELL
WEXLER obtained from the Passport records, Department of
CG 100-17425
State, i^iioHarch 29, 1961. from interv iew with Mr. CLOimiAN
on October 13, 1954, from I I on February 13, 1961, from
Ideatlfication Division of the FBI, and from CG T-2 in 1944:
Name :
Alias:
Sex:
Race :
Birth:
Residence:
Height:
Weight:
Build:
Hair:
Eyes :
Complexion :
Marks :
Occupation:
Marital Status:
Relatives:
Mother:
Brother:
Brother:
Sister:
Sister-In-Law :
Mother-In-Law :
Children:
HASKELL WEXLER
PETE WEXLER
Hale
White
2/6/22, Chicago, Illinois
6950 Oporto Drive , Los Angeles ,
California
6*li»’
150-160 lbs.
Medium
Brown
Brown-hazel
Fair
None
Cinematographer
Married to MARIAN WITT on 1/11/52
LOTTIE WEXLER
YALE WEXLER
JERROli) WEXLER
70TCE WEXLER
LINDA CRISTAL WEXLER
Mrs. A. K. WITT
Two by previous marriage to
NANCY WEXLER; one child by
current marriage to MARIAN WEXLER
CG 100-17425
CHICAGO COUNCIL OF AMERICAN SOVIET FRIENDSHIP
EDWIN GORDON FOX, 7147 Jeffrey Avenue, Chicago,
Illinois, (now deceased), made available in January, 1954, the
'^First Annual Report CCASF”, an undated publication which stated
that the Chicago Council of American Soviet Friendship (CCASF)
was incorporated in July, 1943. This document stated, **The
Council’s affiliation with the National Council of American
Soviet Friendship (NCASF) was validated August 11, (1943). The
present name was adopted to conform to standard national practice.
It should be noted, however, that the Chicago Council is entirely
autonomous j the government of its affairs rests exclusively in
the hands of its Chicago Executive Board. V
A source advised on May 25, 1960, that the Board of
Directors of the CCASF held a meeting on May 24, 1960 and during
this meeting discussed a proposed draft of objectives for the
dbuncil for the year 1960. This draft, among other things,
reiterated that the main aims of the Council were peaceful
c6-existence and friendship with the U. S. S. R.
This same source also advised on May 25, 1960, that thd
CCASF remains affiliated with the NCASF for the purpose of ^
iiaplementing its stated aims of peaceful co-existence and friend-
ship with the U. S. S. R., but continues to consider itself
autonomous in the government of its affairs and program for
achieving these aims.. Although the CCASF considers itself
autonomous in this regard, the leaders of the CCASF are frequently
i!» contact with and its program closely follows that of the NCASF.
The NCASF has been designated by the Attorney General
of the United States pursuant to Executive Order #10450.
CQ XOO-lTdJiS
CHICAGO COUNCIL 0? AftrS,
SCIENOJS^ AITQ PROgEoSiO^S (CCASP)
It is to be noted that the “National Council ox
the Arts, Sciences, and :eroi<?ssions”hac been cited ;,m. a
wnnist iront” by the Conf^oessional CoR*Bittee on XTn-ArBu'cican
Activities, acco^rdin^ eo HouS'.^ Henort Nu]i;ibor 1054, dated
April 26, 1950. ALlWiT JONAS li:ylT>LAN advised SAs CAHL N.
FREYflAN and ,WUih A. BECl^idlY on ?5arch 6, 1952, that the CCASP
is an axiiliate of the National Council of Arts, Sciences,
and Prof essio)V3 .
PliOGIlESSIVK WaiTY OF ILr/iHOIS
A soixrco adviti^d on February 6, 1931, that thc^
Progroasivo Party of Illinois v/as under the* control oi the
Communist Party (CP) and has been since its inception in
Illinois,
The CP, has boon desij^nated by the Attorney’'
General o£ the IJnited Sta.tes oursuant to SKCCutivo Order
3*10430,
I r
i
ITED STATES DEPARTMENT OlTjUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
In Reply, Please Refer to
FReNo. 100-17425
Chicago, Illinois
June 7, 1961
HASKELL WEXLER
SECURITY MATTER - C
, Reference is made to the report of SA
[ dated and captioned as above at Chicago.
All sources (except any listed below) used in referenced
communication have furnished reliable information in the past.
CG T-5, an agency v/hich collects security-type
data in the Chicago area.
This document contains neither recommendations nor
conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and
is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be
distributed outside your agency.
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
5010-104 c . . ^
UNITED STATES Gj0.V.JE^PkIENT
Memorandum
x^1 'f
TO
Director, FBI (62-55696)
SAC, Los Angeles (IOO-60588)
date: 6/30/61
haske:
SM - C
Bureau
I^WEXLER, aka.
deleted cop^^t^
BY LETTER
authorl'J'^^f ^■•f’^i^sted*' i
interview WEXLER
n accordance with existing Bureau instructions relating to
I interviews of Security subjects. If WEXLER is cooperative,
\no affirmative steps will be taken during the initial inter-
/^iew to direct his activities, but a separate communication
will be directed to the Bureau setting forth the results of
the Interview I
b7D
1. WEXLER, age 39> is of the white race and resides
at 6950 O porto Drive ._Los Angeles . California. He is a
cameraman in the motion picture industry and' is President
of Wexler Productions with offices at 1410 Van Ness Avenue,
Los Angeles. He is also reported to have numerous other
interests, including a travel agency, and tra vels through out
Europe and South America frequently.
^ITT.
2. WEXLER ‘s present wife is MARIA'N*>^XLER,. nes
His previous marriage to NANCY JANE ASHENHURST ended
in divorce.
3. In January, 19^4, WEXLER was a member of the
Seaman’s Branch of the Communist Party (CP) in New York City,,
having CP Book Number 31371. In 1943 he was a member of the
Convoy Club of the Young Communist League and the American
Student Union. In 1946 he was a member of the CP in Chicago.
His car was observed in vicinity of meeting place of the
Abraham Lincoln Brigade. In 1949-1951 he was a subscriber
I to the "Daily Worker." WEXIER was reported to have stated
in the 1940 ’s that he would not bear arms for the United
States if called up. He was a merchant seaman during the
war.
JUL12 1961
Bureau (Registered)
- Los Angeles
^Ptpag /
(3)
approveI^
Date
IB
~ V
LA 100-60588
AljhS
aW':./
m--^-
y.
4 . Sub;}ect‘s first wife, NANC^SHENHURST, of
wealthy family, was reported to have been Thterested in and
attended meetings of the American Youth for Democracy. His
present wife, MARIAN WEXLER,“a free-lance artist, also of a
wealthy family, is reported to be in sympathy v/ith the
communist movement. She has been a subscriber to the "Daily
Worker" and made contributions to the Chicago Committee to
Secure Justice in the Rosenberg Case. She has been connected
with the National Council of the Arts, Sciences and Professions,
5. Subject's father, SIMON, now deceased, who was
a wealthy Chicago manufacturer, was interested in and made
generous donations to numerous communist front groups.
6 . There is no information to indicate that WEXLER
was ever expelled from the communist movement; however.
Informants have no Information which would indicate he is
presently active. There likewise is no additional information
regarding any action taken by communist groups against
relatives mentioned above.
7 . It is believed that an Interview with WEXLER
would tend to determine his nationalistic sympathies, and
if he merits consideration for nlaftement on nnft of tha
indexes. I
• f
b7D
- 2 -
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIOFI
Reporting Office
Office of Origin
Date
Investigative Period
LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES
8/2/61
7/19 - 27/61
TITLE OF CASE
Report made by
Typed By:
/f
i!'
HASKELL WEXLER, aka
DELETED
DY LETTER ,fY/. ... «
PER E.OJm REaUESIC^,.-^ '
PIERLE L. PARKER
pal
CHARACTER OF CASE
SECURITY MATTER - C
b6
b7C
Synopsis:
REFERENCE:
Report of SA
dated 6/7/61!
- C -
at Chicago j
AIMIjNISTOATy/E ; A copy of this report is being furnished
to Chicago for information purposes as part of subject's
family are still in Chicago and subject may return to Chicago
from time to time.
WESLER is not on: any of the Bureau indexes, and
no recommendation is being made that he be so placed.
NEGATIVE INFORMANTS : — -
b6
b7C
, and ! I orally to SA MERLE L. PARKER,
February 17, 1951 , and July 27 , 196I, regarding instant- case,
b7D
- A* -
iTjif 3-3-59)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Copy to:
Office: Los Angeles^ California
Bureau File No.: 62—55^96
Character: SECUEITT MTTSR - 0
Report of:
Date:
Field Office File No.;
Title;
r»IERIB L. PARKER :pal
August 2, 1961
100-60588
HASKELL WEXLER
Synopsis:
WEXLER resides at 6950 Oporto Drive, Los Angeles, California,
and is a cameraman in the motion picture industry. He is
also President of Wexler Productions at l4l0 Van Ness Avenue,
Los Angeles, California. There is no information to indicate
that WEXLER has been active in the Communist movement in
Southern California. He was interviewed hy Bureau Agents on
July 27, 1961, and stated that he joined the CP during the
vfar in 1943 or 1944, and dropped out toward the end of the
war because he could not withstand the regimentation. He^,
admitted activity in behalf of the Chicago Sobell Committee
but stated it vias because of his opposition to capital
punishment. UEXLER denied any contact X'jith the CP since
1946.
- C -
DETAILS
i -
.iiyi
BACKGROUND
RESIDENCE AND EI'^PLOYTCENT
On July 27, 1961, WEXLER advised that he continues
to reside at 6950 Oporto Drive, Los Angeles, California, and
is President of Wexler Productions, l4l0 Van Ness Avenue,
Los Angeles, and is also a cameraman in the motion picture
industry.
This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the PBI. It is the property of the ISI and is loaned to your agency j it and
its contents are not to he distributed outside your agency.
M 100-60588
ACTIVITIBS
InforaantG, who are Generally fa^illiar ;?ith CoKiiriunlGt
Party tneribership and activities in the professional field
includinG the notion picture industry, adviced tiiat UEXLSR has
never corne to their attention.
'Rev, 1-25-60)
V
A federal" bureau of investig/^n
n... 7/31/61
HAf^TTRT.Tf X^EXLER, 6950 Opo3?to Drive, Dos Ansoleo,
28, California, was advised that ho did not have to make any
statement to the EBI and that he had the pi^t of counsel*
WEXLER adviced as follows:
He was a product of a wealthy family and had always
heen a non-conformist, and inclined to take the side of the
minority. He stated that sometime during the war in 1943 or
1944 i-jhen he was a seaman, ho joined the Communist Party (CP)
and was a member of the Seamens Branch in New York City.
He stated that he went to their meetings when he was in
port j however, by the time the war was over, he had become
disenchanted because they were always trying to regiment him.
He stated that because of his strong feeling of individualism
vjhen he was contacted in Chicago in 1946 by the Party, he told
them that he wanted no part of the CP and has had no contact
with it as an organization since that time* He stated that he
and his X'Jife did become involved in vjork in the Sobell Committee
in Chicago but that it was not for the idea of helping two
spies or individuals who had been fomerly members of the CP
but it was for the purpose of fighting against capital
punishment* He stated that any committee which forms and
that works against capital punishment he xjould lend his
support and at that time this was the only committee taking
such a stand. He stated that since coming to California
he has attended several meetings of a group working against
further atomic experimentations for war purposes. He stated
that this group, to the best of his recollection, called
itself Society for a Sane Nuclear Policy* WEXIER pointed
out that he has never given money to the CP nor will he ever
in the future. He was unable to recall identifies of
individuals Imown to him when a member of the CP.
HEXEER stated that he is opposed to Communism, is
a loyal American, and would fight for this country against
the Soviet Hnion or any other country* He stated that if
Information came to his attention regarding the CP or CP
members, he would volimtarily furnish this information to the
EBI.
On 7/27/61 o. Los Anp:eleo. California File H Angeles IOO-60588 .
by SAS I. 1 ERLE L. PARKER &
fated
7/28/61
This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It Is the property of the FBI and is loaned to
your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency.
b6
b7C
3
r
APPENDIX
COmiTTEE TO SECURE JUSTICE FOR MORTON SOBELL
A source advised on May 4, 196I, that the Los
Angeles Sobell Committee is the Los Angeles, California,
affiliate of captioned organization.
’'Following the execution of atomic spies ETHEL and
JULIUS ROSENBERG in J^me, 1953^ the ‘Communist campaign
assumed a different emphasis. Its major effort centered
upon MORTON SOBELL,* the ROSENBERG s' codefendant. The
National Committee to Secure Justice in the Rosenberg case -
a Communist front v^hich had been conducting the campaign in
the United States was reconstituted as the National
Rosenberg-Sobell Committee at a conference in Chicago in
October, 1953, and 'then as the National Committee to Secure
Justice for Morton Sobell in the Rosenberg case
("Guide to Subversive Organizations and Publications"
dated January 2, 1957^ issued by the House Committee on Un-
American Activities, page 60.)
In September, 1954, the name "National Committee to
Secure Justice for Morton Sobell" appeared on literature
issued by the Committee. In March, 1955^ the current name,
"Committee to Secure Justice for Morton Sobell, " first
appeared on literature issued by the Committee.
The 1960-61 Bprough of Manhattan telephone directory
lists the "Committee to Secure Justice for Morton Sobell" as
being located at 940 Broadway, New York, New York.
7
APPENDIX » L
I ^
4 *
L
Ji
^ .OPTIONAL MRM NO. tO
^ 5 ^ 10 - 104-01
r-^t^TED STATES
RNMENT
^Memorandum
TO
FROM
T
subject:
DIRECTOR, EBI (62-55696)
SAC, LOS ANGELES (IOO-60588)
PSIETEO COP
date: 8/2/61
HASKELL WEXLER, aka /-
■ — * •'* 'iK^tateW'
1'#“
There is being enclosed herewith four copies of
report of SA MERLE L. PARKER, dated as above, for the Bureau
and one copy for Chicago, which report sets out the results
of interview with WEXLER.
For the Bureau’s information, WEXLER was contacted
telephonically on July 19 , I96I, by SA MERLE L. PARKER, who
advised him that he X'jould like to talk with him regarding
a matter in iihich the Bureau had an interest, and it was felt
that he might be of some assistance. He stated at that time
that he frankly was upset by being contacted by the FBI and
would like to consult with his attorney. It was pointed out
to him that he was not being charged with any offense but
it iflas a matter of requesting assistance from him. He stated
that he would give it thoxight and recontact Agent.
Two days later I'JEXLER contacted SA PARKER telepho nically
and stated that he had consulted with his attorney, [
who advised him that he should not talk
2 ^-Bureau (Encr. ^ (REGISTERED )
- Chicago (100-17425) (Enel. 1) (REGISTERED)
3 - Los Angeles
(1 - 65-4513 } (MRTHA DODD)
(1 - 65-4513 ) (ALFRED STERN)
MLP.'pal
(6)
REC* ^ ^
b6
b7C
with anyone from the FBI luithout his being present. Agent
talked at length telephonically with VIEXLER, telling him of
the confidential nature of much of the Bureau’s work and
the matter to be discussed vjith him did involve internal
security, and for this reason it was felt it ^■jould be best
that he and Agent talk privately. Eventually as a result
of discussion, VJEXIER agreed to discuss the matter with Agent
li
M IOO-6O5S8
viith tbo provlo Ion that It ijould he kept confidential and
that his attorney, I I vjould never he told that
he had talked with the EBI asainot his wlohee and xjithout
his being pro cent. VJEXLSR ^jas ac cured that the entire
contact wac confidential incofar ac the EDI vjac concerned,
and ho ctated he knew thic was true, and he likewise would
keep it confidential 4X8^. arrangements viere to meet for lunch
on July 27, 1961, at foting Restaurant.
SA TiEREE L. PARIOaR had lunch with WEXIER with
SA I I in the background, WECDSR ’wa,s drescod
in khaici clothes, carrying a steel helmet. Ee explained that
he had juct bought a now sports car for $20,000 Tjhich he is
learning to race as a hobby. For come time during the luncheon
meeting, which was in a friendly atmosphere, WEXLER told of
his problems and much of his life which agrees with that which
hac been developed by the Bureau. He stated that hie main
problem now is trying to get the Union to authorize him to
be a top camersraan an. jBae motion picture Industry but they want
him to talre apprentice vjork and he contends that he has
already had the experience. He stated that because he cannot
take motion pictures in California he is having to talce
assignments outside of the state and in foreign countries.
He just returned from several months in Brazil and is
contemplating talcing an assignment which vjlll taJ.ee him for
several months to Argentina.
HEELER, in talking of his past record, stated that
he v;as glad to have an opportunity to talk ^jitli the RBI about
it and had often wanted to but could not get the courage to
malce such a contact. Ee recalled that in 1954 he was not
given a passport because he refused to ansvjer questions
regarding previous affiliations. He recalled that xjhen he
was a young boy his father v;as an ultra-conservative and
this caused him to rebel and assume the position of a radical.
He stated probably this had something to do with his joining
the Communist Party. He stated that ;jhile he realizes
Communism is ijrong and it stands for everything he abhores,
he still considers himself a person vjanfcing other to have a
better life too. He stated that he xjas appalled at some of
the poverty \jhich exists in Latin-Amorlcan countries, and
b6
b7C
b6
b7C
- 2 -
1
LA IOO-6058S
pointed out that vjhilo he tv'aG in Brazil he let bio beard qto'hi
and corae of the peasants when they savj him ;;ould cheer him
and call him ''I?IDSL." UEXLER stated that it is things lil^io
this vjhich malce him concerned because our country is not
doins enough to assist the Latin-American people and he is
afraid unless soLuething is done, they \jill go Communist,
TTEXLER stated that his brother, YALeI WLKLER, and
his wife returned to Chicago last weelc and proWbly will go
in with his other brother, JERRYIUEYLSR, whom he described
as being a good businessman and i multi -millionaire,
IJEXLER appeared to bo forthright in his discussion
and in his position of being opposed to Communism, He stated
that he wotild lilce to maintain conta,ct i;ith the BBI when the
occasion indicated as there ;vas a possibility that Information
might come to his attention isjhich the FBI should Imov; about.
Ho stated that he considered espionage a very serious crime
and added that he had met MARKTA DODD and ALFRED STERII and
had been In their home on several occasions in Chicago, He
stated that ho understood that they tjere involved in espionage
but it ims difficult for him to understand it because to him
they seemed so extremely unstable. He stated that he Jenew their
son and in fact introduced him to the girl who he eventually
married.
No recommendation is boing made that UEXLER be placed
on any of the Bureau's indexes and this case is being placed
in a closed status in the Los Angeles Office.
4/22/<»4
Airtel
fj
To;
IProa;
SAC, hos Atige3.es (10O-60S8S)
Director, IDI <62-»SS(S96)
IIASKELl^^mi^
SECimiTY lIATTK^s - C
1 - Ilr, Belnont
1 - Ilr* riohr
1 - rir. Sullivan
1 - Jlr, DeLoacli
1 - Mr* Rosen
1 - rir. Bland
1 - Ilr, Baumgardner
1 - Ilr, McGowan
1 - Mr, Coll
Rciirlct dated 4/16/64 wEicli enclosed a copy of on _
article which appeared in the 4/15/<i4 edition of the ‘’UCLA^Daily
Bmin,” This article concerned a fila produced by the subject
entitled “Bus Trip,”
Tile Bureau desires that you attempt, tlirough established
sources, to obtain additional details concerning this film, its
producer and any other individuals connected therewith, ^ You
should also attenpt to detemine the scope of distribution of this
fila and any future plans for its distribution.
This aatter should he h^dled promptly.
J
NOTE :
(.r’
See menorandua Bland to ?/* C. Sullivan dated 4/2'^64
captioned "Haskpll Tfexle^r, Secijrl tv Matter ^ C,” TBC:icb.
TBC^icb (12).
99
X-
19 APR 23 1964
APR z :i iyb4
COMM-l-Bfi ■ ■
it
Tolson
Belmont _
Mohr
Casper
Callahan .
Conrad
DeLoach .
Evans
Gale
Rosen
Sullivan _
Tavel
Trotter
VJ
cOf'
JtAi T
J^e /U Pf U C . (]
/
♦ < V
1 0'
au ss \i 2-' yy .fill
Tele. Room .
Holmes
Gandy
MAIL ROOM I
I
TELETYPE UNIT
□
b6
b7C
OPTIONAL PORM NO. 10
UNITED STATES GOljERNMENT
Memoramum
Director, FBI (62-55696)
SAC, Los Angeles (100-60588) (C)
date: April l6, 196i|.
O' O ri f! t \ UW
subject: HASIffiLL Y®XLER, ak^gLETEO
~ by letter . W^/l ^
OOsLOS ANGELES p « j(/REa6E^_^,-^----^ 4 XJ r
ReLos Angeles PARKER, 8/2/61
For the information of the Bureau two Xerox duplications of an
article by MICHAEL H. HARJfilN, which appeared in the April l5j 196Ii. edition
j of the ’•UCLA. DA ILY BRUIN," campus newspaper at the Universiiy of California
J at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California* This article, captioned "Bus Trip,"
r relates to a film produced by subject lEXLER concerning individuals who rooSL
^ a bus from San Francisco, C^ifornia to T/ashington, D.C, for a Congress of
L^Raoial Equality (CORE) "led delegation to the mass civil rights demonstration
l^at the nation’s capital." ^
The article Indicates that the movie is in the nature of
[(U documentaiy, and that T/EXIER provides no narration, no external comment or
* explanation of ary kind. Paragraph five in the article states, in part,
"An old Negro war veteran, mixing amused tolerance with remembered bitter-
ness, tells of a boss who fired him from his job as a dishv/asher at the
urging of the FBI who considered him subversive because he belor^-ed to the M
NAACP.w . I
Indices of this division contain no r^^erences to the movie "Bus ^
Trip," nor the author of the article, MICHAEL However, as the O
Bureau is well aware, HASKELL VffiXISR was reported\r a member of the Seaman’ s|j
Branch of the Communist Party (CP) in New York City in Januaiy, 19i^i-* He wat j
a member of the CP in Chicago in 19k^} and a subscriber to the east coast j
communist "Daily Worker" in 19ii9-5l* YVhen interviewed July 1961 he . *
admitted CP membership prior to 19if.6; but stated he was opposed to communl^ |
and had no contacts with the CP subsequent to 19i;6. Of
Other than the attached article, no publicity concerning the movie |
"Bus Trip" has come to the attention'^ of this office. The above is furnished,
however, in the event that a,dditional publicity is afforded to this picture.
As WEXLER’s background is w4il known, no further investigation into this
matter is conteiiplated. // D/?/,
a
SfS
^ OQ
*-U iSf
^ LU ^
§
M
Ji* 2 - Bureau (62-55696
n T 1
3 - Los -fi-ngeles ^
1 - LA 100-15732 (COMPIC)
1 - U 100-32199(UCU)
(5) GGB
ristered Air mail^
e APR 30 1964
/Yv
• FI5-3,SO.(B«y, 7-16-63)
(Mount Clipping In Spaco Below)
Bus Trip
-By MICHAEL H. HARMAN *
“In mailing this film, says
producer* Haskell Wexler# ’ “I
was excited and overwhelmed,
by the beautiful spirit of those
young people. There was a feel-
ing of fun and' adventure, but*
also one of intense purpose
and personal involvement;*'
Reflecting this statement,
Wexler’s “Bus Trip" is not
merely a documentary film. In-
stead, it is a personal shar-
ing, for the viewer,- of the
.cause and the experience of a
CORE - led delegation to -the
mass civil rights demonstra-
tions at’ the nation’s capital.
Wexler provides no narration,
no external comment or expla-
nation of any kind. His cam-
era lets us be on the bus speed-
ing from San Francisco to
Washington D.C. Overheard
conversations and. intimate
close up shots provide a grad-
ual, organic understanding of
the individual and group mo-
tives underlying the civil rights,
march of last August, ^
CONFLICT
Although no human enemy
is seen, there is an ever pres-
’ ent feeling of intense dramatic
conflict. Painful knowledge of
the real enemy, racism and
hatred, is seen in the fac^ and
heard in the ’ voices ' of the
marchers. This* knowledge is
Reflected in the bitter humor
with which members of the
San Francisco and Birming-.
ham delegations compare bat-
tle scars of their personal en-
i counters with racism. It is seen
” in the frustration and hostility
of Jim Shaw, a young Negro,
when a, white CORE leader
‘forbids him to ‘‘make .a stand",
by buying cigarettes in a
“whites only" cafe. The enemy
.becomes far more powerful,
'more real, for not being seen
as a' human antagonist, but for'"
dplx^jg^g^ deen in I he cohro ^j
ifiive on its victi^. 7^!
“Bjjis. T rip" is the ^ stpiy o f
people, not as a mass, but as
individuals .taking part in a
mass movement. The camera
seeks out the uniqueness of
each individual and the emo-
tional essence of each scene,
to give the Washington demon-
strations a new dimension, a
new depth of per^nal mean-
.in&.
An old Negro war veteran,
mixing amused tolerance with
remembered bitterness, tells of
a boss who fired him from his
job as a dishwasher at the urg- 1
ing of the FBI who considered i
him* subversive because he be- *
longed to NAACP. The em-
ployer “didn’t even know what
the hell ‘subversive’ meant."
To the Negro, however, the^
forthcoming d e monstra-
tions are a source of ultimate
optimism. He compares his un-
, certainty toward his reception,
in Washington with the fear’
he felt many years ago, step-’
ping into a dark alley where*
he was ambushed by white
men. “Only now," he adds with
new pride and hope, “I won’t
be afraid, as I was then."
“CONVERSION" .
In one of the high points of
the film, the white bus driver^
previously noncommittal on
.civil rights, proudly wears a
CORE button on his necktie. .
Offscreen, marchers’ voices
sing “We Shall Overcome". In
a following scene, the depth of-
his “conversion" is humorously
but eloquently shown,' At a j
road stop he displays ‘three^
buttons on his ’ti6/ 'before a
mixed but friendly grpjip'Of his]
peer^*‘(other white bus drivers) '
and CORE members.
The marchers’ spirit of ucg- • i
(Indicate page, name of
newspaper, city and state.)
"UCLA DAILY BRUIN," Campus
neTTspaper at the University
of C alifornia at Los Ange!le£
Vol. LXIV No, 1*2
Page 8, Columns
Date: April 1^, 1961*
Edition: Wedne sday
Author: MICHAEL H. HARMAN
Editor: EES OSTROV
“ ENCLOSURE
4. -Z- -
7 ^ 1 -
o
#
purpose is ^gkijifun y
established. In a holiday >
spirit, but with a determined
sense of destination, white and
Negro CORE members add'
finishing touches to a huge
Washington*' banner on the
side of their bus in San Fran-
xisco. On the road, the ever .
.repeated question is "‘How far .
are we from Washington nowf
At a road stop,, a Chinese i
member breaks a mood of ten- ^
sioh by reminding the group '
^that their bus's chronic late-
jhess in starting /‘is just like
a CORE meeting.’*
BALANCE
The greatest value of the
•film, both for viewer and for
•the cause of civil rights, is its
: balance of objectivity with
sympathy. Wexler totally re-
jects blatant drumbeating and
propagandizing. Instead,, he
/boldly puts forth truth, i.e. real
people and events, relying on.
truth to be its own l^st propa- *
ganda. This reliance is well .
founded. True, scenes haye
•been edited from a huge
^amount of film footage, but ,
fthey are truly representative ..
^ of the actions and spirit of the
.people involved. . "
Wexler originally . developed *
this concept as a departure
from the superficiality of the *
mass media. He main'^ihs that
f there could be no real objec-
I fivity without a personal treat- .
jment of the March on Wash- :
ington. The “personality” of.*
the “March, he insists, is an es- j
sential component of its real-
ity.
“There is great value,” he ^
■points out, “in young people
acting on principle; In our so--
j ciety no one needs to apologize |
for cynicism. It is fashionable, I
I almost mandatory, in many so- 1
/cial situations. Instead, people ‘
to apol ogize for /
idealism. They shouidnT^Ea^
-^to.” ^ > -V .V -
o
HONESTY ^
,<^Bi2S==^rip,’’ hones ty:.- a nd
^ depth make it a potentially
valuable instrument for pro-
moting a credible and favor-
able image of racial issues in
America. The film would be
well received in “underdevel-
oped,” non - white countries
where literacy rates are low
and where films have the ^
greatest impact as a means of
mass communication. Audi-
ences in these areas would
quickly realize that they were
witnessing an exceptional phe-
nomenon, an honest and graph-
ic presentation of a politically
controversial issue, without
amelioration or evasion. They
would see that there is intense-
racial discrimination in Amer-
ica, but that it is not the policy
of the government or even’ a -
hard core sentiment of the ma-
jority of the population. Most
significant, in their eyes, would
be the fact that racial minori- * ,
ties can petition the national
government . for civil rights, .
with some realistic hope of
success,
Most important, “Bus •
Trip’s” message is universal.
Although it accurately exposes
issues that are specifically '
American, it '’looks beyond
these issues to the fundament-
al truth that no human being,
in any nation or time, has the
right to withhold the freedom
•or digmty of pother. V '
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
MAY 1962 EDITION
GSA GEN. REG. NO. 27
6
TO
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Memorandum
Mr. W. C. Sullivan
^ Mr* J, F. Bljand
HAsmLTffixm
SECURITY MATTER - C
1 - Mr. Belmont
1 - Mr* Mohr
1 - Mr. Sullivan
DATE: 4 / 21/64
1 - Mr. BeLoach
1 - Mr* Rosen
1 - Mr. Bland
1 - Mr. Baumgardner
1 - Mr. McGowan
1 - Mr. Coll
Tele. Room .
/ Holmes .
Oi* oSnAy .
Los Angeles has furnished an article which appeared
the ” UCLA Daily Bruin,” a campus newspaper at the University of
California at Los Angeles, dated 4/15/o4. This article captioned
•Bus Trip" refers to a film by the same name produced by
Haskell Wexler, The article was written by Michael H. Harman and
refers to the film "Bus Trip" as a documentary film which ;;^aces
the experiences of a Congress of Racial Equality led delegation
on a bus trip from San Francisco, California, to Washington; D. C.,
where the individuals will participate in a mass civil ri^ts miarcn.
article alleges that in the film an old Negit) war
tells of a boss who fired him from his job as a dishwabher
at the urging of the FBI who considered him subversive betause he
^ ~ to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
S^IJPeople
^!r.
9 XT >.
Q ca
i~ ^ Angeles advised that its indices contained no additional
in “ concerning the film "Bus Trip" or the author of the
Michael H. Harman, Bufiles also contain no information con-
“-ifceming "Bus Trip" or Michael H. Harman. The producer of "Bus Trip,"
I Haskell Wexler, is on the Reserve Index and has been the subject of •
a Bureau investigation. He was previously reported as a Communist
Party member in the 1940 ‘s and subscribed to the "Daily Worker" ,
through 1951, We have received no information in recent years
indicating that he has affiliated with the communist movement.
iffiSERVATION: .
It is believed that we should request our Los Angeles
Office to attempt to obtain additional information concerning .this- -
film from established sources in the moq|ie industry, ^
BECOMMEwnATTON! . ^ C ,■ , r
. That the attached airtel go forward instructing Los Angeles
to determine additional'details concerning the production and dis-
tribution of the: film "Bus Trip." - " ^
1>
5>.I3-*64
AlrteX
1- fi!r. Coll
Toison
Belmont
Mohr
Cosper
Callohan -
Conrad
DeLoach -
Evans
Gale
Rosen
Sullivan
Tavel
Trotter _
Tele.'^BQoit
HolmAfJ.
Gandy
^ Director «
HASKELL mSXLER
SECOTtlTY MATTER - C
SAC« Los Angolss (100-60588)
Director « FBI (62-55696)
IT'"*
5 33^316'
Reurairtel dated 5-11-64 * ^
The Bureau desires that you restaiu particularly
alert Tor any additional pertinent information that is
received concerning this film. You should also alert your
sources familiar with the movie industry for any pertinent
information they may receive concerning this film* The
Bureau is to be promptly advised of any such information
received*
It is also desired that you reopen the investigation.';^'
of Wexler and bring his activities up to date* Thereafter, /
you should submit a report to the Bureau together with your /
recommendations concerning his Security Index or Reserve ^ /
Index status. • — / ,^/y''
NOTE:
Wexler was previously identified as a Communist Party
member in the 1940* s. He is currently producing a film dealing
with the **March on Washington'* which allegedly contains a remark
that the Bureau had an old Negro war veteran fired from his job
because he joined the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People.
f'Li^
» c*
MAV 141964
-TBC:p£^ (4)
mi iu Ym/
MAIL ROOM !
TELETYPE UNIT 1
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
MAY 1962 EDITION
GSA GEN. REG. NO. 77
TO
FROM
SUBJECT:
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Memorandum
Mr, W,C, Sull iva n ^
DATE
Mr
A
f
haseell'^vexi/er
SECURITY MATTER - C
= May 14, 1964
1- Mr, Belmont
1- Mr, Mohr
1- Mr, Sullivan
1- Mr, DeLoach
1- Mr, Rosen
1- Mr. Bland
Mr . Baumgardner
Mr , McGowan
Mr, Coll
DELETED COPY '''"***^ /y-o-w rir Z - ti ^ — l—
BY LETTER
PER FJ
lationywas preyipuSsly received that Haskell Wexle:
was producing a i.ilm entitled^i^^us Trip” which film would trace
the experiences of a Congress of Racial Equality led delegation
on a bus trip from San Francisco, California to Washington, D^C,
It was alleged that in the film an old Negro war veteran
would tell of a boss who fired him from his job as a dishwasher
at the urging of the FBI who considered him subversive because he
belonged to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People, Los Angeles was instructed to attempt to obtain all
pertinent information concerning the film.
Los Angeles has advised that Wexler is in the process of
producing such a film and, in addition to the bus trip from
San Francisco to Washington, D,C,, he has also filmed a plane ride
from Hollywood to Washington, D,C, and a train ride from Atlanta,
Georgia, to Washington, D,C,, for the ’’March on Washington,” There
is no information currently available, to indicate that the FBI will
be mentioned in the film and it is reported that the film will be
a documentary type of film, Wexler allegedly is considering the
possibility of making three different films due to the volume of
material in his possession. He is reportedly currently editing the
film and the release date and scope of distribution not known
at this time.
Wexler is an extremely wealthy man and has been identified
as a member of the Communist Party in the 1940 ’s. We have not
received any information indicating affiliation with the communist
movement on the part of Wexler since 1951,
Los Angeles has been advised to follow this matter closely
-and to keep the Bureau advised of any pertinent information it
receives concerning this film, Los Angeles has also been instructed
to bring the investigation of Wexleir up to ^datd ^nd^ t o st^iiiit a report
concerning Wexler to the Bureau,
R ECOMMENDAT ION.;., .For information.
62-55696l> jiJAY
TBC:pag
iW : : 7 A
• 13
f
0-1 (Rev. 7-19-61)
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Memorandum
TO : SAC, J_Q3 ANGELES
FROM ; Director, FBI (Bufile and Serial^
(Room No ^
SUBJECT:
- < 1 --
(Your file S~ S ^ DATE:
%?c
n 1. Bufiles indicate this case is delinquent. -Give specific reason for delinquency.
^ Blietter CH mbmitted ^ { q / t r
2. Date CD report Bwill be submitted vS *"( Q"'
CH 3. If valid reason exists for not submitting report at this time, state reason specifically and when report
will be submitted
Status of ED Appeal
CD Inquiry
B-'^flvos^ation
I I Prosecution
CD Sulet by
CD 5. CD Surep
hilf tase
(Place reply hereon and return to Bureau. Note receipt nnd acknou^dffnent on top teria^n case fite)\ : ^
Date: 5/11/64
Transmit the following in
AIRTEL
Via
(Type in plain text or code)
AIR MAIL
(Priority)
A
tf
V
TO:
FROMr
SUBJECT:
DIRECTOR, FBI (62-55696)
HASKELL WEXLER, aka^ll- CGNTA!
Pete V/exler
SM-C
SAC, LOS ANGELES ( IOO-60588 )(e3
^ All im:J?!!AT!GN CGNTAIf® A. .. .
mm is uiMsiRED
/'^/^ Re Bureau airtel, 4/22/64, and Los Angeles letter,
4/16/64. which enclosed a copy of an article which appeared
in the -4/15/64 edition of the ”UCLA DAILY BRUIN", which
article concerned a film produced hy WEXLER entitled "Bus
Trip",
The following inquiry was made by SA LESLIE P.
WARREN to obtain additional details concerning the film,
its producer, and any other individuals connection
therewith; Also to determine the scope of distribution
of -this film and any future plans for its distribution:
On ^/h/PiK r
Ijsstabiished source;, inf ormei as follows:
[
]has been acquaint ed with PETE WBXLER.
member of th e Photographers UnionJ
r/^Bureau (RM-AM) —
I^New York (Info) (RM -AM)
5 -Los Angeles ( 100 - 60588 )
1 - (100-19333 — COMINPIL Radio-
TV Industry)
1 - (100-15732 — COMINPIL Motion
Picture Industry) ,
1 ^ ( 105 .- 25 § .-.-r. CORE ) ^ ■
^ 1 - (157-636, — Racial Matters jR£C“
, ‘‘ -■ r
i£s.
a
for many years. WEXLER is a wealtyAman, having
Approy^^f
tv
17 KAV IS 1SI4
b6
b7C
b7D
?-b6
r b7C
b7D
r> Jlii'i -J
m
Sent
.M
Per
Agent in Charge
«
LA IOO..60588 .
inher ited wealth from hia father v/ho operated a firm which
believed was known as Allied Radio Corporation in
*7— " — WXJt/WXClUJUWIl J*1JL
the Chicago area., VJEXLER is a good camera mn if alloiired
to take his own time and "fuss around’.' He is not too
good as a cameraman for commercial, feature motion picture,
^fiw work. He has office space at station
^TV-TV, Los Angeles, at l4l0 North Van Nuys Avenue,
ihe name of his firm is believed to be Wexler Productions .
The most recent credit as; a photographer received by WEXLER
w??A®^?A5AfT America America", produced and directed by
ELIA KAZAN and recently released.
»t ^4. 4 IpXLER has always appeared to be interested in
causes. I I had no specific information on
Which this opinion was based except that liEXLER had
expressed interest in various cur rent ra cial integration
programs. The latter had invited I I to WEXLER* s
residence on one occasion several month s ago t o attend a
meeting of this nature and mentioned to I fth at the
®^^AF01CPE would be present. [ ~| said that
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
he did not go and he did not know what organizat iorsdf
any, were interested in the meeting. He also did not know
xvn8,l5 uiP0c1/ly WEXLER *s intoposts in tliGso
matters unless as a result of , inherent wealth he felt he
should support the underdpg.", T I did not know of any
specific organizations vrhich VJEXLER belonged to other tha^
the Photographers Union.
, ^ Jwas aware that WEXLER had filmed a bus
trip taken by persons who had driven via bus from San
Francisco to V/ashlngton, D. C., to participate in the
demonstration referred to in the press as the "March on
^®hington’' on August 28, 1963. had heard that
vffixpjR v;as editing a film but had not seen the finished
product nor had he heard of the specific title WEXLER Intended
to use xn releasing the rilin* Further^ the extent of
distribution and identity of o thers c onnected with the film
were not specifically knoivn to | | with the exception that
another member of the Photographers Union had done some
filming for VJEXLER in connection with t he "May nh on
Washington and yould furnish details. | [stated that
this in 4iv i dua l . I 1 wna a newsreel ca. mg>-r»a>nftn
b6
b7C
b7D
for the
and resides
2
LA 100-60588
I telephone
t.^^fc 7 )f^^^PA/d 1 T»t=^r>■±yry also lists^^T^ I
I ^ ■ ... . I □ — , [ at this address;. I I
a confidential sou rse of his and
could be trusted to maint ain nonfl de nnaa / T l ar>y»ayio-g>/»
i%/fh intervlfi^ . Iln l l oH^oe on^^
at wnlch time| | advised the following:
. l?^^i^.S_'the period prior to the “March on
VJasnington", 8/28/63, PETE IHEXLER, who | 1 had knovm
on a professional basis for several years, had exp3?essed
inters t in the March and remarked that it would some
day be a very historical event and should be properly
recorded on film. VJEXLER decided to shoot such a film and
he arranged to hire other cameramen, including! |
phases of this “March on Washington. "
w^jOjER himself shot the portion of it involving a group
who went on a bus from San Francisco to Washington, D. C.
I accompanied a group of Hollywood personalities
^d enterta ine rs by plane from Hollywood to Washin gton .
D. G., photographing en route and WEXLER hired the J I
brothers, first names not known, v/ho operate a cawiera
equipment company in New York City. These brothers did
the camera work on a train from Atlanta, Georgia, to
Washington, D._0., composed of participants in the
demonstration in Washington.
The film was shot in each instance in 16 mm black
and white film with an audio tape.
vmLER reportedly paid for the bus to carry the
demons tutors from San Francisco to V/ashington. Instructions
from vvEXLER were to get shots during the trip as candid as
possible with the camer a subject s, of course, being aware that
cameramen were aboard. I H said that in his particular
experiences, the cameras used were small and quiet and he
would attenipt to get shots of individuals in groups talking
and holding various discussions in various parts of the
later on in Washington. He mentioned that MARLON
BMNDO and HARRY BELAFONTE were instiTumental in promoting
the group from Hollywood.
LA 100-60588
Folloj^ng the trip to Washington, WEXLER
inf oi*med | I that he had so much film that he
did not know what to do with it. It was too much
for one film and he considered making three, different
films 1 pne for each segment of the trip. As far as
knew at the time of interview VJEXLER was still
ouiting tho film and was not awas^^G of its conrplGiiion
that he had termed it "Bus Trip . " [
said that he had not seen the publicity on the film
which had appeared in the "UCLA DAILY BRUIN. " He stated
that he himself had not seen the film and wondered what
3
said that
basis of a news release. , ,
VffiXLER had reportedly maintained contact with the JJGLk
trainee school in the past and it is conceivable that
the writer of the article may have been a UCLA student
who had seen portions of the film during the editing of
It or WEXLER might have outlined the film to him orally.
WEXLER stated that he was undertaking the
film’s production as a commercial venture, as well as
a historical venture and that he hoped to arrange for a
feature film release in theaters and in television although
he did not k now how s uccessful he might be. \«E2CLER had
not informed r | of any specif l c""plans fb r distribution
of the film and ip was not knovm tof"^ I whether there
^ ^ ^ ^ mi * I _
would be more than one film or not* L
]had been
basis as a
hired by WEXL ER strict ly on a professional «,
cameraman and I I has not had too much contact with liflSXLER
since the trip to Washington.
^ , |was of the opinion that WEXLER was in
the prQdUCx;xon or the film "Bus Trip" alone and based on
_ t knowledge of WEXLER, the latter did not care
whetsner he made or lost money on the venture as VJEXLER
was reportedly a wealthy man and he did not appear to worry
about financial returns of his f ilm ventures as normal
film producers should. I I stated that he had no knowledge
of any organization sponsoring the film or any plans to
release it through any organization such as the Congress On
^cial Equality (CORE! which played a prominent part in the
March on Washington . "
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
4
M 100-60588
£
stated that he did not knoxv v;ho was
editing the film for "WEXUBR or whe 2 ?e it was being edited.
He xvas of the opinion that 1‘JEXLER would xindoubtedly
contrast with someone to edit the film and distribute
it.
I [pointed out thatVEXIiER intended that the
film be in the form of a documentary and no naration or
explanations would be made of the statements contributed
to its participants . I I said that in his opinion
whatever might be shown in the film would be exactly like
it occurred and would voice the persons statements
exactly as stated.
I I could not further identify the New York
crew xvhlch did the v/ork on the train for IJEXLER but did
recall that there v;as a sotind technician with the New
York crew who xvas a x-foman although her identity he did
not know.
Is aid that he v/ould remain alert to
future de ve lopment s and advise agent accordingly. He
claimed that upon its release, there xirould xindoubtedly
be publicity on the film xvhich could furnish further
details .
Both
and I I furnished the above
information in confidence and requested that their names
be concealed if used outside the FBI.
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
Nq record identifiable with
3
or
Uffice :^ndlcaa aynaph tjhflf: bbo
Identified as
had appeared in the Los An gceles
and address of
_J had flr>r>P>flT>Ar1 nn a
igeles
iIZ]
b6
b7C
b7D
No further investigation is contemplated by
the Los Angeles Office at this time, however, this office
will remain alert and furnish the Bureau any further
developments .
5
LA 100-60588
For the information of New York, the above
article was written by one MICHAEL H. HARMAN and
related to a film produced by VIEXLSR and which concerned
the aforementioned bus %trip to Washington, The article
indicated that the movie was in the nature of a documentary
and that VJEXLER provided no naration or external comment
or explanation of any kind. Paragraph 5 in the article
states, in part, "an old Negro war veteran, mixing amused
tolerance with remembered bitterness, tells of a boss
who fired him from his job as a dishwasher at the urging
of the FBI who considered him subversive becaxise he
belonged to the NAACP." Other than the article, no
publicity concerning the movie "Bus Trip" has come
to the attention of the Los Angeles Office.
p \
FD-122a '^(6-23-60)
UNITED STATES Gcl^l^MENT
Memorandum
TO : Director; FBI (Buflle- 62-55696 ) DATE: 6/8/61]. . "
Ij^FROM : SAC, LOS ANGELES (100-60588)
i#*’
subject: H a SKELIT^/JEXL ER , aka .
SECURITY MATTER - C
Card filed
Cards sent po / I ■
d I
f L L
l-xJ It 1
It is recommended that a "Section A"
Reserve Index Card be prepared on .i# COOTfiti-U
I I The "Section A" Reserve Index
. Card on the captioned individual
the above-captioned individual. i';-- irJl'f should be changed as follows
(specify change only):
riiF Sid?
HASKELL WEXLER
^b6
< b7C
PER
I'fcK riJ
Lx .1
Native Born
1 Communist
J Naturalized
□i
!!□
Socialist Workers Party
I I Miscellaneous (specify) ,
Date of birth
Place of birth
2/6/22 Chicago, Illinois White
Business Address (show name of employing concern and address)
Free Lance Cameraman and Film Producer,
Wexler Productions, ll|.10 North Van Ness Avenue,
Los Angeles, California
pCJ Male
1 IZ) Female
Key Facility Data
Geographical Reference Number
.Responsibirrty .
Interested Agencies
Residence Address
6950 Oporto Drive, Los Angeles, California M .J
Z ^ 17 ^
f-LOS^ANGELES II \ f.
LW:dgr I V:-;-
v3l ' »t,»f!rrr r,-* \>- viyl ^
V &
■At .Ol ' '1 \ \K
'V ' ^ ' n r? nro'T’ c r> t:» rt i 5 /V‘. rr t f-
niVf 4U£rr f -^
BECit)
The recommendation that a "Section A", Eesepve
Index Card be prepared on HASKELL WEXIER, akdv is based
on the follotfling furnished by sources who haVe furnished
reliable inforraation in the past unless otherwise indicated:
1. Active in American Student Union and closely
associated with the Communist Party (CP)
in 19^0 - 19^1. ■ ^ : < -
.2. Member Communist Political Association,, 1944:^
3 ; 'Member of the CP at ; Chicago 1946 and, auto
observed in vicinity of CP mass meetings ,
1948 iand 1950. , : .
4. Auto observed in vicinity of affairs of the
■ Progressive Party, 1949-'1950, the Veterans of
the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, 1952, and 'the
: World Peace Congress, 1951:*
5. During interview by Agents of the FBI
July 2lV 1961 , WEXLER admitted Joining the
CP about 1943 or 1,944 but denied any connection
with the CP since 1946.
6. Reported by I j free lance screen t>6 ]
writer; December 2, 1901 , with whom sufficient b7c
contact has not been had to establish 1
reliability of i nformatio n furnished, that ; 1
WEXEER had hiredi I in recent past to., I
hkd been dissatisf ied wlth l T
efforts claiming I | "had not -treated the
book on a liberal enougn vein" .
’t'JEXLER produced a film regarding person who
rode. a bus from San Francisco to Washington,
D.G. > in August, 1963 to engage in a "Congress
of Racial Equality" (CORE) led delegation to ^
partielpate in a mass civil rights demonstration..
Publicity on this film apDearing in the
f'UCLA Daily Bruin", April 15,. 1964 revealed
it to be entitled "Bus Trip" and referred
to a part of the film where in the FBI
was mentioned in a derogatory manner .
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
UNITED STATES GOvjj^MENT
Memorandum
TO
DIRECTOR, FBI (62-55696)
date: 7/29/64
FROM ; Il5?'-'F/,SAC, LOS ^GELES (IOO- 60588 ) (P)
all information contained
HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED
Ref report SA LESLIE P. WARREN, 6/8/64, at
Los Angeles.
subject:
HASKELL WEXLER, aka.
SM-C
On 7/24/64,1
] and a established source ^Conceal)
advised SA LESLIE F, WARREN the following:
learned 7/24/64 through a sourde at
20th Century Fox that a showing of WEXLER ’s filan about
the "March on Washington,” was being shown on the evening
of 7/24/64 at Lytton Center of Visual Arts, 815 O Sunset
Boulevard, Hollsmood. This center is operated by
BART LYTTON, president of the Lytton Savings and Loan
Association at the same address.
— oOn 7 / 28/64 an unidentified phone call to a woman
^at "fee above center by SA LESLIE P, WARREN, ascertained
•tha£..the WEXLER film (Bus Trip) was shown 7/24/64 by invitation
at §.'~private showing. No plans were known for any future
-Showings of the film at this center or elsewhere. The
unidentified woman talked to said, "Mr. Wexler who is
listed in the phone book is handling the distribution of
-the »f.ilm" .~
b6
b7C
b7D
b6
b7C
b7D
C
BART LYTTON
LYTTON, aka, is the subject of a closed SM-C
file, Bufile 100-400l6, LA 100-24471. He is alsp the
subject of a dead file LA 92-1180.
LYTTON in 1953 appeared as a fripndljrr^witr^es.s^
before the House Committee on Un-Americari activities ’ and
admitted being a member of the Communist Party in the mid
1930 ’s and again in 1945. ^ / ^t
**7»r
2 )- Bureau (HEOISTER^^
- Los Angeles , • / p 3 . , ,
(1 - 100 - 24471 ) (BART LYTTONX,,
18 JUL 31 1964
LPW/dey
60Aifk31964 //
r
LA 100-60588
LYTTON has come to the attention of the Los
Angeles Office in Anti-Racketeering matters as a front
for Las Vegas money in the Savings and Loan Association
industry. He has also been active in high circled of the
Democratic Party.
The above is for the 'Bureau’s information.
LEAD **yl
LOS ANGELES
AT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA : The Los Ar^^es Office
will abide by Bureau instructions regarding th^/recommendation
to place the name of WEXLER in the “A SSStion" of the Reserve
Index and in the absence of further . inf ormation to report
regarding the film, "Bus Trip", produced by WEXLER, will
close the case administratively.
2
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
UNITED STATES GOl!
MENT
Memorandum
DIRECTOR, FBI (62-55696)
SAC, LOS ANGELES (IOO- 60588 ) (C)
date: 10/26/64
subject: HASKELL WEXLER, aka. ” //'T
SM-0 '
Re Bureau airtel 5/1^^4, requesting that the
Los Angeles Office reamin alert for any pertinent information
regarding the film ”Bus Trip", whach was produced by WEXLER.and
Los Angeles letter 7/29/64.
For the Bureau's information the Beverly Hills
Times, Beverly Hills, California, 10/5/64, carried an article
headed "Film on Civil Rights to Show". In substance the
article revealed that "The independent production, 'The Bus
Trip' will be shown at 8:30 p.m., Friday, October I 6 , at the
Academy Awards Theater, Melrose and Doheny, under the spon-
sorship of the Westwood Citizens Against Proposition l4" . The
film concerned the Greyhound Bus which carried persons from j
the west coast to Washington, D. C . , during a I 963 "Civil /
Rights March" . The film was scheduled to be released later /
this month on a commercial basis.
The above Proposition 14, refers to a Proposition
appearing on the California State Ballot for the November,
1964 , General Election, which was designed to repeal the
Rumford Act, which prohibits the refusal of the sale or
rental of certain real estate property in California solely
on the basis of race, creed, or racial origin.
)
The Los Angeles Office will remain alert to the
further distribution of this film and will advise the Bureau
accordingly. . ^ \ ^ I I
lingly, . ^ ' TOr
EtTER . C . I J. y. .. f ^
F.0.f.P.A:
DELETED COPY SEl
BYLEtTER.C
^ PER F.O.f.PA tol
_2^>- Bureau (rm)
TT - Los Angeles
LFWtjmp
•. llEC- 56 ,
©
le OCT 28 1964
3 tj 2- J Jl- . _
I- i
I ^ Ji^
,5'0i'.'0V4
OPTIONAL PORM NO. 10
UNITED STATES GOVi
' . Memorandum
ENT
i
TO
FROM
If subject:
DIRECTOR^ FBI {6‘2l-^5^S6)
SAC^ LOS ANGELES (IOO-60588)
;
HASKELL WEXLER, aka
SM - C
Re Los Angeles letter, 10/26/64.'*
Enclosed herewith is one copy of an article appearin'
in the Film Review Section of the Hollywood "Daily Variety^"
Show World Trade publication dated April 8, 1985^ concerning
a review of the film "The Bus" produced by Haskell Wexler
Productions .
/ Additional data concerning recent showing of this
film is as follows:
date: 4/12/65
DELETED C^Y^ENT,
BY I ETTER ri J . /.^iai«;»^.,ispeasE»ai<
PER/.O.j.P./^ REfJUESX
INFORfMTION CONTAINED
HERElfilS UNCL^SIFIEO
flATEiiSiBY.
\\J^
r'^
I
]
1 advised the San Francisco Office on
]yfe, rch 5 . 1965 that WEXLER had recently sought the services
of I I to translate a letter from English to German. The
leiter was addressed to the Leipzig Film Festival, Leipzig,
East Germany, and revealed in substance WEXLER was attempting
to retrieve a copy of the film "The Bus" which WEXLER claimed
he had sent them a few months ago.
The Chicago Office fur nished info rmation received
December 4, 1964 revealing that
October 12, 1964 that the film ”
reported on
produced by Ti'IEXLER,
ptel.
b7D
' Th^’BUS ,
had, on October 10, 1964, "bien shown at ‘the La Salle
Chicago, Illinois, during a/ oonvention of the "Freedom
Democratic Party." LOTMi^WXLER, mother,cFHASKELL WEXLER and
his daughter, Miss CATHwWT^LER, student at the University of
Chicago, had been observe^ at this showing.
Los Angeles will ^pmain alert for^ any future pertinent
distribution of this film.
II ax
T 1 ^'
EHCLOSWB
(£>- Bureau (Enel. 1) (REGISTERED)
1 - Los J^geles
LPW:bjs
(3)
i
®oAP
C
^ Jf
M APR i
,965
FD-350 (Rev. 7-16-63)
the Bus
An Edward Harrison release of a Haskell
Wexler production. Photographed by Wex-
lerj eaitor^ Conrad Bcntzen; sounds Nel,
Ricltard Markowitz. Reviewed
in IV.Y,, April 5, *65, Running time; 62}
niins. t j it
This feature-length documen-i
tary about the journey, by bus, ofl
a group of San Franciscans, black!
land white, to the ‘‘March On!
Washington,’" is currently having
i^ts premiere showing at the Trans-!
Lux 49th Street Theatre. Produced,
photographed and personally
nanced by Hollywood cameraman
.Haskell Wexler (“America Amer^
|ica,” “The Best Man” and “The
(Loved One”), it deals with a bus.
trip from Frisco to Washington.
^ As the greater part of the filim
IS confined to the action that takes'
place in the interior of the bus,!
there is considerable visual lim-
itation that even Wexler’s expert
[black and white camerawork can’t
overcome. For this reason, he has:
interpolated occasional stops to,
enable the passengers to move
about and to introduce extra char-
jacters. Most of the interior filming
, was done by a modified Auriconi
[camera which Wexler claims that
(he wore around his neck all the
'time. It is true that, only rarely,,
.does an individual display impres-
sion he knows he’s being filmed.
[ There is almost no background
I narration, the story, as such, being
[told by the passengers. After a
short introductory speech by the
family of Charles --Franklin (fa-
|ther, mother, two^d'au^ters) who
make up four of the white passen-
gers, rest of film relies on conver-
sations and some folk singing. A
short stretch of film’s ending was
made in D.C. with considerable
emphasis on the march, but with'
the Frisco group featured. ,
. Biggest drawback is the impres-
sion that, considering the events
that have since ensued, all this is
ancient history. Poor sound (seem-
ingly via tape recording later add-
ed to film) and frequently erratic
photography are also against siis--
taine d interes t in film.
^.Scenes where picture ^oes coriie
ajive include one durih'g stop'o’^'^r
near Washington where a young
Negro who had been through some
of fjje civil rights demonstrations^
passengers!
what it was like. Impressive fact
was that despite the excitement
^^11 m his voice as he re-,
calls the actions taken by Alabama
police against himself and his fel-
low demonstrators he never lapses*
into pro-violent statements or il-
logical condemnations. This could
have been result of training done*
by the Non-Violence Committee.,
t»thor. scene is near epd of trim
When a ‘heated debate has broP'^hi
(Mount Clipping in Space Below)
out among the bus passeir^’ers bo..^
cause of an apparent failure on
part of some of riders to support
one-man demonstration of one
male passenger while traveling
through. Maryland, r
Evidently an attempt on part of
Wexler to express his personal
feelings about civil rights, it
would have had greater dramatic
emphasis with a better conceived
format. Its appeal should be lim-
ited, even in areas wheire civil
rights is a major concern. 'Bobe,
\
ENCLOSURE
r- FD-122a (Bev.
UNITED STATES G(
Memorandum
NMENT
I
Director, FBI (Bufile- 62—^^696 ^
: SAC, LOS ANGELES (100-60588)
o
SUBJECT: hASKELLSSeXLER , aka.
SECURITY MATTER - C
DATE:
S O'*
Re;
PD 122a dated 6/8/%
. [—1 It is recommended that a “Section A” Reserve Index Card \X\ The “Section A” Rescue Index Card on the captioned
be prepared on the above-captioned individual. individual should be changed as follows (specify
change only:
Name
b6
b7C
Aliases
DELETED
BY LETTER
PER F.g.i.py\.jigai
□ Native Born
I I Naturalized
I — I Communist □ Socialist Workers Party □ Miscellaneous (specify)
Date of birth
Place of birth
Race
Sex
□ Male
I I Female
Business Address (show name of employing concern and address)
Free Lance Cameraman and Film Producer,
Haskell Pete Wexler,* ll).10 North Van Ness A%nue,
Los Angeles, California
Key Facility Data
Geographical Reference Number .
Interested Agencies
.Responsibility .
Residence Address
REGISTERED MAIL
- BUREAU
LOS ANGELES
NOT recorded"
US JUL 20 1967
JST/emv
( 3 )
' /'
54 JUL 2719671
ij V , 1 'i'**
I pV V
1
X
DEHI¥ED WB£Mi
FBI MJTt^^TI€^ IIMlhA5SIWI€MTItM OTIDE
,D&fE 0S’"23”-20aj j^^y#47B40^^ ^
Ji»' ' • 'f
REPORTING OFFICE •
LOS ANGELES
FlCi^C
OFFICE OF ORIGIN
LOS ANGELES
• 4 / 27/72 •
h^j'VES TIG ACTIVE PERIOD
3 / 24/72 - 4 / 21/72
TITLE OF CASE^
HASKELL^EXLER^ aka
REPORT MADE BY
CHAKAC IbkUl* CAiiB
SM - C
TYPEO BY
b6
c;ic
-b7C
jy
-REPERENCE:
Los Angeles report of SA LESLIE' P. WARREN^
dated 6/8/64..,^^^
_ 60PY^SEM1^^t«»SffcS^^p6EB
ADJ4INISKIATIVE
. ^ W
Ti^jo copies of an PD -376 are stapled to this report for.
use in dissemination to Secret Service.
By ED-122 dated 4/27/72, WEXLER is being recommended for
ADEX, Category IV. v s. / ' / • /
ju^44n SK6n4»
5(7 h( ')C <s>rf
ACCOMPLISHMENTS CLAIMED
^ACQUI T-P‘^
CON VIC.
AUTO.
FUG.
FINES
^ SAVIN GS
ihebsb&sss
■
PENDING OVER ONE YEAR □ Y ES ( I NO
PENDING PROSECUTION
OVER SIX MONTHS □ V ES f |N0
approved ,
COPl^ MADE:
SPECIAL. AGENT
IN CHARGE
Bureau ( 62 - 55696 ) (BM)
1 - Secret Service, Los Angeles. (RM)
2 - Los Angeles (IOO- 60588 )
DO NOT WRITE IN SPACES BELOW
'5 06 '^ 6
6 MAY 1 lOT?
EX-lU
Notations
Agency ^
jjme.
\ —
Request Reed.
■m
j
Date Fwd.
mmA
How Fv/d.
ZMMKMMk
By
7 ^
MAY L5
'W .
CPO s t&7t — 445-529
COVER PACE
V
lA 100-60588
, .1^
On 3/2V72, SA LESLIE P. WARREN conducted a. pretext
telephone call to Love Films under the guise of presenting
a script to the subject.
, On 4/17/72.
by SA|
of presenting' a scrip
a pretext telephone call was- conducted
to subject’s residence under the guise
. to WEXLER.
b6
b7C
LEADS
LOS ANGELES '
AT LOS ANOELES, CALIFORNIA : 'Obtain a suitable
photograph of subject and dissemlnat’e.
( ■ ■ •
INFORMANT^
LOCATION
100 - 77464-86 ■
-111
•Document ion for Entertainment
Industry for Peace and Justice.
b6
b7C
b7D
Orally to SA
Orally to SA
Orally to SA
- B -
COVER PAGE
FD-305 (Rov. 3-9-72)
1. S Subject’s name is^fciuded in the ADEXm Categoty □! ® IV
2. IX] The data appearin^^h the ADEX Card are current.
CH Changes on the ADEX Card are necessary and Fom FD-122 submitted to the Bureau. P •
4. (Xl A suitable photograph Qis Qg is not available, ■ ' ' • '
Date photograph was taken - .
5. □ Subject is employed in a key facility and is charged with
security responsibility. Interested agencies are
— ’— ■■■ ' ■ ' . ^
6. IX] This report is classified oonf Idcnti a3 r ^ because ’
(state reason)
the unauthorized disclosure could be prejudicial to national defens
interests by compromising T- 1 , and T--2, security in-formants of
continuing valuer . . "
7. KD Subject previously interviewed (dates) 7/21/61
K] Subject was not QQ interviewed □ reinterviewed because (state reason)
of his occupation as an independent f jlm producer^ -which might
cause embarrassment to the Bureau.
8. Q This case no longer meets the ADEX criteria and a letter has been directed to the Bureau
recommending cancellation.
ED This case has been reevaluated in the light of the ADEX criteria and it continues to fall
within the criteria of Category marked above because (state reason)
of his past affiliation with the Communist Party^ USA and becuase
of his position which may be used to influence others to engage
in acts inimical to the national defense.
10. ^ This case has been reevaluated in the light of the ADEX criteria and it should be tabbed
Category □ I □ H Q m iv because (state reason)
See Item above.
11' K] Security Flash Notice (FD-165) to Identification Division:
^Submitted Placed Yes □No'''- —
12. □ Subject is Extremist in Category I of ADEX and Stop Notice has been placed with the
Bureau Stop Index. _ q* _
COVER PAGE
ED-376 (Rev. 2-17-72)
m
TED STATES DEPARTMENT OFWSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
LA 100-60588
In Reply, Please Refer to
File No. BU 62-55696
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535
April 27 , 1972
Director
United States Secret Service
Department of the Treasury
Washington, D. C. 20220
Dear Sir:
RE: HASKELL WEXLER
SECURITY MATTER - C
The information furnished herewith concerns an individual or organization believed
to be covered by the agreement between the FBI and Secret Service concerning protective
responsibilities, and to fall within the category or categories checked.
1. □ Threats or actions against persons protected by Secret Service.
2. □ Attempts or threats to redress grievances.
3. □ Threatening or abusive statement about U. S. or foreign official.
4- □ Participation in civil disturbances, anti-U. S. demonstrations or hostile
incidents against foreign diplomatic ^establishments.
5. □ Illegal bombing, bomb-making or other terrorist activity.
6. □ Defector from U. S. or indicates desire to defect.
7. [X] Potentially dangerous because of background, emotional instability or
activity in groups engaged in activities inimical to U. S.
1 - Special Agent in Charge (Enclosure(s))
u. S. Secret Service^ Los Angeles (RM)
Enclosure(s) (Upon removal of classified enclosures, if any, this transmittal form
becomes UNCLASSIFIED.)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF J USTICE
^ FEDERAL. bureau OF INVEST! GA:||^'1
Copy to.- 1 - Secret Service, Los Angeles (RM)
Report of: |
Date: 4/27/72
Field Oifice File #: , IOO- 6 O 588
TiHc! HASKELL WEXLER
Office: Los Angeles, California
Buieau File #: ■ 62-55696 •
Characfer: SECURITY MATTER- - C
Synopsis: HASKELL WEXLER resides at 6950 Oporto Drive, Los Angeles,
•California, and is self-employmed as an independent filar
producer. His company is Dove Films, 722 North Seward
Street, Los Angeles, California.. WEXLER is carried as
a sponsor of the Entertainment Industry for Peace and
Justice. In 1968 , he produced a .film entitled, "Medium
Cool, " which was anti-establishment and anti-law
enforcement in nature. ' In 1971^ l^EXLER produced a
documentary film entitled "Brazil, " which considered
alleged mistreatment and tortdre of civilians by
Brazilian police. In October 1971jWEXLER was hired by
a Hollywood film company as a cinematographer for a
film based on a controversial stage play entitled,
• "The Trial of the Catonsvillq- Nine."
'DETAILS
RESIDENCE
•Through a suitable pretext by a Special Agent of
the FBI, it was determined HASKELL WEXLER resides at 695 O
Oporto Drive, Los Angeles, California, on April I 7 , 1972.
This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents
arc not to be distributed outside your agency.
b6
b7C
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1970 O - 406-840
" 100-60588
EMPLOYMENT;
Through a suitable pretext by a Special Agent of
the FBI on March 24;, 1972^ it was determined that WEXLER is
self-employed as an independent film producer. The name of
his company is Dove Films located at 722 North Seward Street^
.Los Angeles^ ..California
ACTIVITIES
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOR
PEACE AND JUSTICE (EIPJ)
On October 14, 1971j LA 1-2 advised that the
EIPJ is not a membership organization but is a r
group largely dominated by- JANE FONDA, actress,
and DONALD SUTHERLAND, actor, who use the
group to gain support within the entertainment
industry for their anti-establishment and anti-
United States involvement in the war in^^Southeast
Asia. The EIPJ maintains an office at 667 I Sunset
Boulevard, Suite 1521, Los Angeles.
JANE FONDA has received considerable recent
publicity regarding her militant activities
protesting the United States invblvement in \ '
• ■ the war in Indochina. DONALD SUTHERLAND has '
been publicly identified with JANE FONDA in
these activities.
LA T -1 ( 10 / 26 / 71 , 3 / 1 / 72 )
In October 1971-> source made available a leaflet
printed by the group known as EIPJ. Carried on the partial
list of sponsors was HASKELL WEXLER.
In February 1972, source made available a pamphlet
describing itself as the first issue of "Eritertaintnent Voice /\ 3 \ .
for Peace and Justice," a publication for the EIPJ. A ’
partial list of sponsors included HASKELL WEXLER.
2
^ ■ ;
■ •
LA 100-60588
"Daily Variety, "
Hollywood, California
(11/12/71)
The "Daily Variety" is a Hollywood, California, (t
entertainment trade publication. ■
An advertisement in the "Daili?’ Variety" was paid
for by the EIPJ which concerned a petition to end the war in
Vietnam. A list of sponsors for the advertisement included
WEXLER.-
"Daily Variety"
( 12 / 6 / 68 )
> ' An article appearing in the "Daily Variety" advised WEXLER
completed work oh the production of a film entitled "Medium
Cool." The film^as being prepared for release by Paramount 7 \
Pictures in February 19 ^ 9 . The article stated WEXLER had a f ree J .
rein to deal with the riots in Chicago, Illinois, during
the 1968 Democratic Convention. It was reported WEXLER wrote
the screen play for the movie. The film vjas anti-establishm.ent
and anti-law enforcement in nature.
"Daily Variety" ■
(7/30/71)
An article appearing in the "Daily Variety" concerned
a documentary film produced by HASKELL WEXLER entitled
"Brazil. " The "Daily Variety" described the film as a report
on torture which involved prisoners in Brazil who had been X
arrested_^ for no apparent reason. In the article, WEXLER v '
""stated he wanted to develop a rage in people when he made the v
film on Brazil prisoners. The article said the film would
be shown on National Education Television (NET) and would be
available to theaters. No date was set for the showing of
the film on NET.
LA 100-60588
"People’s World" (PW)
(1/8/72)' ^
The Pl'f is a west coast weekly communist
newspaper, published in San Francisco, -
California.
Under the Coming Attractions section in the PW, the
writer advised VffiXLER had produced a film concerning police
torture of civilians. The filrav includes ah interview with
Brazilian guerrillas. As background- the article stated
•earlier this year, Brazilian police exchanged 70 political
prisoners in return for the life of a Sw.iss Ambassador who
had been kidnaped and held. by Brazil's underground. The
article stated the documentary f^lm -would be shown on
January 7 and 8 , 1972 , at 8:30 p^. , at the Long March,
715 South Parkview Street, Los Angeles, California.
The Long March is a building located at 715 ,'f. )
South Parkview Street, Los Angeles, and is a
center of Wex-J Left and radical activity
in the Los Angeles area..
"Los Angeles Times," a . -
major west coast daily ' (Va'.
nevjspaper,
Los Angeles, California
(10/4/71) ■
The article stated WEXLIJR was hired as a cinematographer
by Melville Productions, Hollyvjood, California, which will . >
produce _a film version of the controversial stage play (
''The Trial of the Catonsville Nine," the story 'of tjlrie Fathers
DANIEL and PHILLIP BERRIGAN.
Fathers DANIEL. and PHILLIP BERRIGAN were
arrested and sentenced to Federal Prison
for participating in the destruction
•of draft records at Catonsville, Maryland.
- . ■■■ t
lA 100-60588
MISCELLANEOUS
Sources who are generally familiar with the membership,
and activities of the Southern California District Communist
Party advised they know of no activity on behalf of TOXLER.
" ^
fH
_ 5* _
FD-323 (Rev. U-29-61)
In Reply, Please Refer to
File No,
UNITED STATES DEPAETMENT OF
SWDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIG
Los Angeles, California
April 27, 1972
J|fJSTICE
mKlon
Title
HASKELL VJEXLER
Character SECURITY MATTER - C
Reference Report of SA
dated and captionea as above,
at Los Angeles.
All sources (except any listed helow) whose identities
are concealed in referenced communication have furnished reliable
infoimation in the past.
document contoins neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property
Of the FBI end Is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside
your agency.
hS
hlC
j,,.
"1
FD-122 (Rev. 11-22-71)
OfTIONAl fORM NO. 10
MAY 1963 EDITION
GSA GEN. REG. NO. 27
UNITED STATES^>VERNMENT
Memorandum
5010-106
TO I^irector, FBI (Bufile- 52-*55696
: SAC. LOS ANGELES (100-60588) (P)
su^fejECT: HASKELL WEXLER, aka.
SM - G '
00: LA
) DATE: 4/27/72
/
t/ ^
-p
pLA^
Idp
Re:
Los Angeles report of SA
Recommend: 1^1 ADEX Card I I ADEX Card changed (specify ch^j|i^^
Name
(Sy
HASKELL WEXLER
Aliases j
Pete^*Wexler
□ AWC
I |BNT
□ bpp
Ca COMMUNIST
□ JFG
□ min,
□ nl
□ noi
I I PLP □ PRN □ SNC
□ PPA QSDS aSPL
I I Miscellaneous (Specify)
Tab
I I Category I
I 1 Category 11
I I Category III
m Category IV
I ISWP
I I WWP
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Race
2/6/22
Chicago, Illinois
White
Business Address, Name of Employing Concern and Address,
Nature'of Employment, and Union Affiliation, if any.
Residence Address
Sex
CXI Male
I I Female
Self-employed Independent Film
Producer, ,
Dove Films,
722 North Seward Street,
Los Angeles, California
6950 Oporto Drive,
Los Angeles, California
Key Facility Data
Geographical Re fere^e Number
A .. ,
V , Qx '/ (-x '
Responsibility
1
' 2 - BUREAU (^)
1 - LOS. ANGELES
JJ S/ jgp
(:
lUJLiJU
7,
gs may 1 1972
IJUN'8 1972
LA. 100-60588
Sources who have furnished reliable information in
the past provided the following information concerning HASKELL
tJEXLER:
In 1940 and 1941, WEXLER was active in the American
Student Union and was closely associated with the Communist
Party (CP). In 1944, he was identified as a member of the
Communist Political Association. In 19il-_6 . WEXLER was identified
as a member cfthe CP_ in. Chicago, Illinois.
His automobile was observed in the vicinity of
affairs of the Progressive Party, 1949-1950; Veterans of
the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, 1962 ; and the World Peace
Congress, 1951 •
In August 1963 , WEXLER produced a film entitled
"Bus Trip," which concerned a group of Civil Rights
demonstrators traveling to Washington, D.,C., for a demonstration
sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality. In this film
the FBI was mentioned in a derogatory manner.
WEXLER produced a film entitled "Medium
Cool," whicETwis^anti-establishti^nt and anti-law enforcement
in nature. ^ r~~ '
In 1971 , WEXLER produced a documentation film entitled
"Brazil," which concerned alleged mistreatment of civilians
by Brazilian police. Concerning this film WEXLER stated he
wanted to develop a r^e in people when he made th© film.
J
In October 1971i it was reported WEXLER was hired
as a cinematographer for a film company which would produce
a film version of the controversial fi lm-jplay The Trial
of the Catonsville NineT'’ “the story of the Fathers DANIEL
and PHILLIP BERRIGAN.
This file has been reviewed in light of the ADEX
criteria and it is recommended that WEXLER be placed on
the ADEX, Category IV.
A current report is being submitted.
T"
FD-376 (Rpv. 12-10-71)
i
$
fulri
UNFI^l^ STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUWTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
LA 100-60588
In Reply‘s Please Refer to
File No. BU 62-55696
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535
May 8 , 1972
Director
United States Secret Service
Department of the Treasury
Washington, D. C. 20220
Dear Sir:
<D
RE: HASKELL WEXLER
The information furnished herewith concerns an individual or organization believed
to be covered by the agreement between the FBI and Secret Service concerning protective
responsibilities, and to fall within the category or categories checked.
1. □ Threats or actions against persons protected by Secret Service.
2* □ Attempts or threats to redress grievances.
3. □ Threatening or abusive statement about U. S. or foreign official.
4* □ Participation in civil disturbances, anti-U. S. demonstrations or hostile
incidents against foreign diplomatic establishments .
5. □ Illegal bombing, bomb-making or other terrorist activity.
6. □ Defector from U. S. or indicates desire to defect.
7- ED Potentially dangerous because of background, emotional instability or
activity in groups engaged in activities inimical to U. S.
Photograph □ has been furnished QI enclosed □ is not available.
S\-i IL
MOT
^ MAY 22 1972
S4MAY231972
J
Any'
MEMORANDUM
Mr. E. Patrick Gray, III
Acting Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, D.C. „ Wfi X
Attached, for your information, and any action
deemed appropriate, is material listed below
which may be of interest to you.
We would like to be advised of any information
coming to your attention relative to this matter.
This office contemplates no further action on this
matter at this time.
STATUS: Pending X closed
CMTg 1 1 E:^. Q t:) g ...f
PuQLK AT
NOVC M -6 ' •!% , A .
sincerely yours.
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Security ^ SS'
tr tf
***?**»»»w
Hon. William P. Rogers
U. S. Secretary of State
WASHINGTON. D. C.
b7C
iiFia
October 16, 1972
Hon. ■William P. Kogers
Secretary of State
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Dear Sir:
Enclosed, with a covering letter to me from one Haskell
Wexler, is what is coming out of Chile. In past months
I had one or two others, but I think I threw them away.
It may be that you will want this kept in a special library
or collection of such periodicals; or that you will want to
pass it along to C, I. A, ; or that you will find it of no use,
and discard it. I do not want it back. I simply thought that
THIS time I would send it along instead of throwing it away.
y Truly yours
b6
b7C
HASKELLWE^yi^^
s'fe 5 & o'Porto drive
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA 90068
TELEPHONE eSI-1771
October 9 , 1972
Dear
Here is a thing in Spanish from Brazilians in Chile.
Regards , H /1
Haskell Wexler
HW:kl
frente
brasilefi.0 de
informaciones
oomite de denunoia de la represidn en brasil
Santiago # chile
UN ARTICULO DONDE SE ANALISA
LAS DIVERSAS TENDENCIAS Y GRU-
POS EN QUE SE DIVIDEN LOS MILI-
TARES BRASILEnOS. LAS CORRIEN-
TES VAN DESDE LOS SEGUJDORES DE
LAS IDEAS DEL MARISCAL GASTELLO
BRANCO HASTA SUS OPOSITORES NA-
CIONALISTAS-FASCISTAS.
PARA
GORILAS PAF
TODOS
LOS GUSTOS
(TEXTO PAG. 2)
CONTIRADICCIONES
ENTFE LOS GORILY
^SABE UD.COMO ESTAN 0^
VIDIOOS INTERNAMENTE
LOS GORILAS BRASILE-
ROS? HAY DOS CORRIEN-
TES PRINCIPALES EN EL
"PENSAMIENTO MILITARIS^
TA". EL GOBIERNO DE GA
RRASTAZU ES RESULTADO
OE UN INESTABLE EQUILl
BRIO ENTRE ELLAS. COMO
TODO ESO SE REFLEOA EN
EL CUADRO POLITICO DE
BRASIL.
La censura de la prensa en
Brasil ha dificultado enormemente^
el acompahamiento del proceso poli-
tico desde el angulo especifico de
los grupos militares.
No obstante, dada la impor-
tancia del tema , el equipo del Frein
te Brasileno de Informaciones enten'^
tara presentar,en una serie de arti-
culos, un panorama esquematico al
respecto, basado en el estudio de
las escasas informaciones filtradas
en la prensa brasilena y en datos
transmitidos directamente de Brasil.
( 1 )
Como en el Brasil de hoy la
politica del pdder es sobretodo un ^
sunto de militares, empezaremos por
ellos.
El rasgo mas signif i ca tivo
que se evidencia es la division in-
terna de los militares en grupos, de
los cuales el actual gobierno repr^
senta una conci 1 iacion . Diclia divi-
sion refleja claramente los proble-
mas del sistema brasileno en cuanto
a su organizacion politica. Apesar
de que los diferentes jefes milita-
res tienen posiciones pol i tico-ideo-
logicas oscilantes al sabor de la am
bicion de poder y/o de la corrup-
2
rjLcij-L5i:as vpamici
al en el total del
las empresas del s
entre las 50n mavo- VI lEmpresas estatales
(idem)
Los numeros que estan aba jo de las columnas indican el numero de
empresas que forman el porcentaje.
Fuente: Sistema Industrial y Exportacion de Manufacturas . Fernan-
do Fajnsylber - IPEA-CEPAL (Datos de 1968).
13
ULO EVARISTO ARMS, ARZO-.
0 DE SAO PAULO, AL RE6RE-
DE ROMA AFIRMO EN UNA EN-
ISTA QUE EL PAPA SABE MUY
LO QUE OCURRE EN BRASIL Y
POR ESO NO PUEDE HACER DE-
ACIONES FAVORABLES A ESTE
- La dictadura fas-
a dominante en Bra-
ha estado en pugna
amplios sectores de
glesia Catolica.
Nuestra af Irmacion
sta fundamentada s£
nte en los numerosos
os en que la violen-
pol icial terrorista
did a sacerdotes y
atarios de la Igle-
Es la propia pala-
del Papa Pdulo VI ,di^
ada por el arzo-
0 de Sao Paulo,
aul 0 Evari sto Arns ,
se junta al coro de
mas importantes figju
de la Iglesia Cat61i_
n Brasil, como D.
er Camara, Obispo de
fe, D. Waldir Calhei_
Obispo de Volta Re-
a, D. Aloisio Lors-
der, Obispo pres i den
te de la CNBB (Comisidn
Nacional de Obispos Bra-
sil ehos ) .
Realmente, el Arzo-
bispo de S. Paulo, D. Pau-
lo Evaristo Arns, en su
regreso de Roma, donde
fue a participar de una
reunion del recien crea-
do Secretariado para los
Creyentes, af.irmo con
claridad ante la prensa:
"Entre nosotros y Paulo
VI no hay divergencia en
evaluar la situacion bra
sileha". Y agregd: "El
Papa, como los obispos
brasilehos, como nues-
tros sacerdotes, no pue-
de sino condenar una si-
tuacion tal". Para que
no quedara dudas encuan-
to a sus af i rmaci ones ,e)<
plico el obispo: "Paulo
VI esta muy bien infor-
mado sobre Brasil, y se
preocupa mucho por lo
que ahi ocurre. El Papa
me dijo textualmente : "Me
gustaria hablar en favor
de Brasil, pero siempre
me llegan rumores de que
no todo va bien alia. . . "
Preguntado por los
periodistas sobre cuales
"rumores" son estos que
llegan al Papa, respon-
dio D. Paulo Evaristo
qu^ el Papa no aprueba,
por ejemplo, la condena
a la muerte de P^^isi£
neros politicos.
Sobre la "imagen de
Brasil en el exterior" ,
que tanto preocupa a los
"gorilas" brasilehos, el
Obispo de Sao Paulo dijo
francamente que son mu-
chas las criticas que se
hacen en Europa sobre
Brasil, agregando: "A to
das las preguntas y acu-
saciones yo respond! que
creo en el progreso del
pais y tengo la certeza
de que este progreso ven^
dra”. Y ante la insisten
cia de los reporteros
que deseaban saber las"£
cusaciones" que existian
en Europe contra el go-
bier no mi liter de Bra-
sil, afirmo D. Paulo Ev^
risto: "Por lo que pude
percibir, las siguientes
son las principales cri-
ticas que se hacen: en
primero lugar, los euro-
peos consideran que la
legislacion brasilefia d£
be ser perf ecci onada en
lo que respecta a la de-
fense de los Derechos
del Hombre. Nuestras au-
toridades tal vez no se-
pan que el Acta Institu-
cional n^ 5 es estudiada
en las universidades eu-
ropeas. El segundo punto
se refiere a la creacion
en Brasil de la "misti'ca
de la seguridad nacio-
nal", que no debe ser el
ideal supremo de la na-
cion, pero si este ideal
debe ser la participa-
cion de todos en los bie
nes materfales y espiri-
tuales que la patria po-
see. Finalmente, los eu-
ropeos piden que no se
repitan detefminados he-
chos, como la6 torturas
y la pena de muerte".
Estas palabras y es-
ta posicion de D. Paulo
Evaristo Arns , Arzobispo
de Sao Paulo, considera-
do como persona de con-
fianza personal del Pau-
lo VI , son claros indi-
cios del total divorcio
entre la Iglesia Catoli-
ca y la dictadura mill-
tar brasilena.
Cabe registrar, ade-
mas, las palabras de
Frai Aniceto Fernandez,
Maestro General de los
Dominicanos, que acaba
de visitar los hermanos
dominicanos presos ya ha
ce casi tres ahos en las
carceles de Brasil: "De-
bo confesar que me que-
de impresionado con las
condiciones inhumanas en
que se encontran los pr£
sos. El juicio contra e-
llos se arrastra con ex-
trema lentitud y no hay
fecha.para el juicio".
Estes hechos y mu-
chos otros seran lleva-
d.os a examen en el Sfno-
do que se realize la I-
glesia Catolica en el
ticano, cuyo principal
tema de debates es preci_
samente:"La Justicia en
el Mundo".. if
A QUIEN SIRVE
UN BUEN NEGOCIO
Quien vfaja en avion en Bra-
sil sabe que la VASP-Viacidn Aerea
Sao Paulo- es una empresa eficien-
te. Su mayor accionista es el go-
bierno de la Provincia de Sao .Pau-
lo, y, curiosamente, la tradicional
corrupcion que envuelve las sucesi-
vas admi nistraciones de la region
mas desarrollada del pats, no ha a-
fectado sustancialmente a la empre
sa .
QuizS porque la VASP sea renta-
ble es que el gobierno resolvid de-
sacerse de ella. IDe que modo? En
primer lugar con el pretexto de que
para "sanear" el mercado, es neces^
rio estimular o promover la fusion
de empresas. Oecimos pretexto por-
que el-problema de la aviacidn ae-
rea en Brasil esta relacionado so-
bre todo con un notable exceso de
capacidad de transporte de pasaje-
ros frente a las condiciones del
mercado. Ese exceso se cred y man-
tiene gracias al f i nanci amiento
del Estado. Una alternative serfa
reducir los precios de los pasajes
y hacer un uso mas utilitario de
los aviones, pero iPor qud hacerlo
si el Estado garantiza a las empre-
16
sas operar con aviones de lujo semi_
vacios? (Hace algun tiempo se ser-
VI a whisky gratis ) .
En segundo lugar, el gobierno
partT(f, cinicamente, del principio
de que la iniciativa privada es mas
eficiente en la administracion de
empresas de aviacion comercial. De-
cimos cinicamente porque es proven
bial la mala administracion de la
VARIG y la Cruzeiro do Sul -para
mencionar -las empresas aereas prin-
cipales- que las llevo a vivir a
costa de los fondos publicos,
Lo mas extraordi nario de toda
la historia, es que el gobierno re-
solvio entregar la VASP a la Sadia
Transportes Aerea, una empresa pe-
quena, deficitaria y poco importan-
te, cuyo capital es 6 veces inferi -*
or al de la VASP . Se determino ^e
la parti ci paci on del gobierno de
Sao Paulo debe llegar hasta 45 por
ci onto del capi tal .
El resto, la Sadia debera. obte
ner a partir de sir reducido capitaT
y de f inanciamientos que consiga en
cualquier parte, Ahf entraran, muy
probabl emente , grupos extranjeros y
sectores privados vinculados al go-
bierno de Sao Paulo (Laudo Natel^a£
tual "gobernador" , es funcionario
del mayor banco privado nacional,
que ya es accionista de la SADIA).
Para que se tenga idea de cuan
representative es la mentalidad de
eliminar la participacidn del Esta-
do en los "buenos negocios", tomase
en cuenta que la decision tardo 3 £
nos en ser tomada, opinando los mi-
nisterios de Aeronautica, de Hacie^
da y Planificacidn. La decision fi-
nal cupo al verdadero supermi nis te-
rio formado por el Consejo de Segu-
ridad Nacional con mayoria de los
militares. Al general Garrastazu M£
dici se dejo el honor de referendar.
Quienes conoce un mfnimo de
los entretelones de la dictadura,s^
be de la corrupcion que debe haber
envuelto esa medida. Y aun los mas
ingenuos o'mal informados no podrSn
dejar la malicia de lado al saber
que el presidente de la SADIA, un
ciudadano con cara de boxeur, es un
oficial reformado de la Aeronauti-
ca, de excelentes relaciones en su
medio.#
r,
PELE
El futbol siempre ha
sido el mas popular en-
tretenimiento de los br^
silehos. No sin razdn es
que la dictadura militar
de Brasil, en los ulti-
mos dos ahos, ha tratado
de utilizar ese deporte
como nuevo campo para
sus aventuras propagan-
disticas. Los encargados
de la publicidad gubern^a
mental , con el objeto de
forjar una "imagen -sim-
patica" del dictador Ga-
rrastazu Medici, decidt£
ron que ese general deb^
ria frecuentar los esta-
dios de futbol, y es un
hecho corriente que la
prensa publique colori-
das fotos del militar en
las tribunas deportivas,
"casi confundiendose con
el pueblo*' (pero debida-
mente aislado y protegi-
do por los agentes de S£
guridad ) .
Muchos jugadores han
servido tambien como ut£
les instrumentos de la
propaganda del regimen.
Pele, sin duda alguna un
brillante deportista, ha
sido elegido algunas ve-
ces como "representante"
del gobierno brasileno
en distintas ceremonias
del exterior.
A continuacidn ,tran£
cribimos parte de una e£
trevista concedida por
Pele a la revista argel£
na "Africasia", editada
en Paris.
16
(jpsas ^e\\z
P.- iQue plensa Ud. de
Classius Clay?
Pele - Creo que el lu-
cha para si mismo. Hace
cuatro anos se rehusd a
defender su patria.
P.- Tratase de la guerra
que"su patria"hace en
Vietnam; iQue piensa Ud
de la guerra de Vietnam?
Pele - Hay muchos problje
mas en el mundo: en Pa-
quistan, Egipto. Los tur
cos tienen sus problemas,
los arabes . . ,
P.- dY Brasil, como es-
ta? dQue piensa Ud de la
dictadura de su pais?
Pele - dDictadura? Bra-
sil es un pais 1 iberal ;
es el pais de la felici-
dad. dNo comprende Ud?
Ud me hace preguntas so-
bre una dictadura y yo
no puedo hablar de algo
que no existe. Creo que
Ud esta equivocado. Nos£
tros somos felices.
P.-dY los doce mil pre-
sos politicos, y la tor-
tura sistematica aplica-
da por el regimen brasi-
leho?
Pele - Como no soy poli-
tico, no puedo decirle
que es lo que hay y Ic
que no hay. Para hablar
necesito pruebas, y come
no las tengo, no puedo c
pinar.
P.- dUd alguna vez ha vj
vido en una "fav.ela"?
*Pele - Los pobres no se
encuentran solamente en
"favelas". Tambien los
jhay en otras partes.
P.- Cuando digo "favela"
me refiero a la miseria.
Pele - En Brasil, muchas
gente tiene problemas . Pie
ro yo* no soy politico y
por lo tanto para mi es
diffcil hablar de politi_
ca correctamente. Creo
que cada uno en el mundo
tiene su deber a cum-
plir. Si los politicos
se metieran a jugar fut-
bol, no podrian hacerlo.
P.*- Sin embargo, Ud no
se ha rehusado para ser-
vir como relacionador p£
blico de la dictadura -
Iperdon, pero yo sigo cr£
i yendo que ella existe en
su pais.
Pele - dUd esta en con-
tra de Brasil?
P.- No. Contra la dicta-
dura.
Pele - Una vez, el pr6si
dente de Brasil pi did
que lo representara en
Mexico, cuando fue inau-
gurada una plaza denomi-
nada "Brasil". Fue la u-
nica vez. Yo no podria
decirle "no" al presideji
te, jamas. Tengo otras
invitaciones identicas,
pero no las puedo acep-
tar porque Santos juega
mucho. Pero cuando tenga
tiempo, ire. Para mi es
un honor..
P.- Volviendo al proble-
ma racial, dUd cree que
existe en su pais?
Pele - No lo creo. En mi
pais, si la raza negra
no es igual a la blanca,
es casi. Donde entran
blancos, entran negros.
Los negros andan por las
calles, en las playas,
sin problem'^s. Es por e-
so que yo 1e he dicho
que Brasil es el pais de
la felicidad. El pueblo
esta contento.
17
Ejercito Brasileno:
fronteras ideoldgicas y
sumision al imperialismo
- ^ - v ' 5 -
■< . ^ .
-'•ii
f {.^ -\v v‘'^> ’
LOS MILITARES
BRASILEnOS HACEN
$U "POS-GRADO"
EN LA ESCUELA SU
PERIOR DE GUE-
RRA. LAS TEORIAS
AHI ELABORADAS
COMANDAN LA VIDA
NACIONAL.
Inspirados en la geopolftica
alemana, desde el punto de vista te^
n'co y en el Pentagono en la practi-
ca, los militares de la Escuela Sup£
rior de Guerra -ESG- vienen preparaj^
dose desde hace tiempo para el po-
der. El mariscal Cordeiro de Fa-
rias, fundador de la "Sortone", como
es conocida la ESG, se siente orgu-
lloso de se.r llamado el "mayor cons-
pirador del pais" y es el aulen ex-
plica los origenes de la Escuela:"La_
guerra con el eje revelara la neces_^
dad de que los Estados Unidos prepa-
ren una "mentalidad guerrera", no so
lamente en el Pentagono sino tambien
en los paises aliados. Los oueblos y
las elites de estos paises, deberfan
ser preparados para la formacion de
lo que hoy se llama Complejo Indus
trial Militar". *
Pasados treinta ahos,. la ESG
es responsable de la creacidn de una
verdadera red de organizaci ones civ^
les y militares en la pi ani f i caci on
y ejecucion de"planes"de guerra. Una
de estas organi zaci ones , el llamado
GRUPO PERMANENTE DE MOVILIZACION IN-
DUSTRIAL -GPMI-, se encarga de cui-
dar de los aspectos referentes a la
consecucion de estudios y proyectos
destinados a convertir la industria
instalada en industria belica. Ade-
mas cumple el papel de ayudar en la
represion politica.
Golbery Couto e Silva, el
teorico de la geopolitica, doctrina
que slrve de gufa a la "Sorbone" .ex-
plica esta necesidad de prepararse
para la guerra argumentando, que vi-
vlmos en los dfas actuales, en un
“verdadero dllema": “el del bienes-
tar y de la segurldad". Por lo tan-
to, segun Golbery mas que nunca es
valido el sugestivo slogan de Goe-
ring: "mas canones y menos mantequi-
lla", y esclarece: "No hay como fu-
garse a la necesidad de sacrificar
el blenestar en provecho de la segu-
rldad, desde que esta sea realmente
amenazada. Los pueblos que se nega-
ron a admitirlo aprendleron en el
polvo de la derrota la lecclon mere-
clda". Y concluye: "La guerra es in^
vltable* Nos resta, naclones de cual^
quier cuadrante del mundo, preparar-
nos para ella, con determi naclon ,con
clarividencia y con fe".
-dSI la guerra es Inevitable
y los mllltares son los ejecutivos
de ella, porque el poder esta en ma-
nos de los civlles?
Esto senclllo postulado ma-
qulavellco slrve de or1entac16n para
los mllltares brasllehos. Desde su
fundaclon, en 1949, la ES6 recibe o-
rlentaclon del Pentagono,a traves de
los asesores mllltares en el sentido
de crear una elite de "tecnocratas"
en el seno de los ejercitos para cum
pllr funclon de "mando" y sustitufr
a los "ejecutivos" civlles en los
mas varlados sectores del pats.
Partlendo del principlo de
que todo civil es corrupt© o corrup-
tible y que, en camblo, el ml 11 tar
es una fortaleza Indestructible de
moral y civismo, los gorllas brasll^
hos orlentaron una vioorosa cam-
paha a partir del golpe de 1964, en
este sentido. Es por esto que hoy
los organismos publlcos cuentan en
sus altos puestos de direcclon con
por lo menos un oficlal superior de
las fuerzas armadas, que en clertos
casos es el director principal. Has-
ta en empresas privadas esa clrcuns-
tancla se repite, con oflciales de
la reserva.
cito brasileno dejo ser el defensor
de la patrla, concebida de la forma
abstracta, como madre debll y vener^
da que exigfa todo de sus hijos, tal
oomo se ensenaba en las cartlllas es^
colares. Hoy los militares brasile-
nos ya no se encubren mas en esta p£
CO convincente caricatura. La defen-
se de la superexplotacidn de la fuer
za de trabajo por gran capital y eT
imperial ismo es el papel moderno del
Ejercito en Brasil. Este fue el sen-
tido de la reorganizacion de las
Fuerzas Armadas.
Laimas significativa expre-
sion de esta politica, es revelada
en el presupuesto aprobado para el
ejercicio fiscal de 1972. De un total
presupuestario de US$G. 987.086^.37
fueron destinados US$1.303..400.48
ai las Fuerzas Armadas, lo que signi-
fica 18.7% del total de los gastos
previstos por el gobierno en el pro-
ximo ejercf^clo. Esa cantidad fue di£
tribuida entre las sigulentes ramas
armadas:
Aereonautica US$330,802.40
Ejercito US$651 . 288.^2
Marina US$321,309.66
< . 4
Mientras las Fuerzas Armadas
consumer esta fastuosa cantidad, el
sector de la salud recibe un presu-
puesto de US$80,574.00 o sea, 1.15%
del total de los gastos y el M1n1st£
rio de Educaclon US$373,754.20, lo
que hace un 5.38% de los mismos gas-
tos generales. **
El slogan de Goering, anali-
zado por Golbery: "mas canones y me-
nos mantequilla" esta siendo apllca-
do en la practica. El presupuesto de
las Fuerzas Armadas esclarece y tes-'
timonia esta politica.
EL CQMPLEJQ INDUSTRIAL MILITATE
El Conde de Mirabeau, a su
regreso de un vlaje a Prusla en
1788, escribla: "La Prusla no es un
pais que tiene un ejercito, es un e- .
jercito que tiene un pais"y acrecen-
ta: "La guerra es la industria naci£
nal de Prusla".
El Brasil actual no es una
Prusla del siglo XVIII^ Su modelo ya
fue comparado a la Alemania de los a^
hos trienta.
El chivp explatorio del mill.^
19
Desde hace mucho que el eje£
tarismo brasileno, se cristalizo a
partir de 1964 en torno del concepto
de seguridad nacional, que es la do£
trina de Seguridad Nacional de la
ES6. Esta doctrina sirve de antepaso
teorico para el militarismo criollo.
El concepto de Seguridad Na-
cional, originariamente militar, fue
ampliado y exteridido hacia el caitipo
de las relaciones mas amplias. Asi
lo confirma el General (RE) Lyra Ta-
vares, ex ministro del Ejercito de
Costa e Silva y actual embajador en
Paris, cuando escribe: "La Seguridad
Nacional comprendida en sus termi-
nos actuales, dejo de ser problema
predominantemente relacionado con la
defense de la integridad del terri^t£
rio, para ampliarse en el sentido de
preserver el complejo del organismo
nacional de la accion de los antago-
nismos, que puedan incidir sobre los
sistemas fundamental es que lo inte-
gran".
'En otras palabras: Las Fuer-
zas Armadas tienen que asumir las t£
reas de equil ibrar, las tensiones in-
ternes y externas. Tienen que asegu-
rar la superexplotacidn de la fuerza
de trabajo, garantizar esta explota-
cion a traves de una ferrea repre-
sion policial que garantiza la repre
Sion poHtica y economica.
El militarismo empieza en
Brasil con la apariencia de uo movi-
miento de salvacion nacional, morally
zador y "democratico" , en contra del
comunismo ateo y amenazador de la
"paz", para transformarse luego en
una potente fuerza represiva no solja
mente interna, sino ya constituida
en una manifiesta amenaza para sus
vecinos latinoamericanos .
HQMBRES Y ARMAS
El numero de los efectivos
de las Fuerzas Armadas en Brasil son
actualmente una incdgnita. Los ulti-
mos datos conocidos son los de 1968,
distribuidos de la siguiente forma:
Ejercito 250 mil
Marina; 45 mil
Aereonautica 35 mil
A estos datos hay que sumar
el numero de los efectivos de las P£
licias Militares, que solamente en
el eje Rio-Sao Paulo constituian un
total de 200 mil hombres. Rio Grande
do Sul, Pernambuco y Bahia sumaban
20 mil hombres cada uno. Se calcula
el numero de policias militares, vejr
daderos ejercitos mantenidos por las
Unidades Federativas, cerca de los
300 mil en todo el pais.
Tales unidades de policia mi_
litar (PM), tienen una estructura-
cion similar a la del ejercito, con
entrenamiento de lucha antiguerril l£
ra. Normalmente ellos son utilizados
en la vigilancia policial ostensiva
de las ciudades. Poseen del mismo m£
do que el Ejercito sus propios sect£
res de intel igencia , conocidos como
G2, destinados fundamentalmente para
la represidn al movimfento dfr masas .
El trabajo que mas caracteriza a un
62, es la infiltracion de sus cua-
dros en los sindicatos o en el campo
en donde existe conflictos sociales
latentes .
Antes del golpe de 64, los
policias militares eran comandadas
por coronel es (PM), nombrados por
los gobernadores de las Unidades. Fe-
derativas. A partir de 64, el Ejerc£
to asumio el comando de estas tro-
pas, a traves de la Directoria Gene-
ral de PMs.
Agregando ademas los poli-
cfas de las OOPS (Departamento de Or
den Politico y Social), DIG (Departa_
mento de Investigacion Criminal) Po-
licias Civiles en general y un sinnu_
mero de alcahuetes a To largo de to-
do el pais, el numero total probable
mente sobrepasa el milldn de hom-^
bres, organizados para la represion
politica del pueblo. #
REFEREWCIAS
* Vicente Barreto, "La Presencia _Ki_
litarista", en El Pape l PolTtico,
Y Social de las Fuerzas Armadas^
en America Latina , Monte Avila E-
di tores, Caracas, 1970.
** Segun estudios realizados por la
Agenda de Desarme y Control de
Armamentos de los Estados Unidos,
en el primer periodo de l.a dicta-
dura, entre 1964 y 1967, los gas-
tos militares en Brasil, aumenta-
ron en 178, 9X. (Citado por Rodri.
go Alarcon, en Brasil Represion y.
Torturas, Ed. Orbe, Santiago -
1971).
20
DIO ILHA GRANDE
abido frecuentes conflic-
los presos y los guardias
10 . Dificnmente se consi-
un libro para un preso, y
• de periodicos fue aboli-
dios a bateria fueron reco
a carce
ora (Pr
s preso
tuaci on
llos to
y esper
te pub!
1 10 la
bre heci
ora biei
or 30 p
1 Juez (
J u d 1 c 1 a ^
NUEVAS...
comunican y protestan contra 1as
violencias a que son sometidos • Di-
cen entre otras cosas que "los prl-
sioneros permanecen diariamente in-
movilizados durante 17 horas dia-
rias en cubiculos de 3,00m. por
1,80m.".
AT cierre de esta edicidn del
boletfn recibimos comunicacion de
Brasil sobre otra huelga de hambre
que los mismos presos politicos de
Juiz de Fora.reci^n iniciaron. Esp^
ramos poder en el proximo numero
presentar mas detalles sobre la lu-
cha de los companeros de Juiz de Fo
ra. Tales noticias salen de Brasil
con la mayor dificultad en razon de
la rigorosa censura impuesta por la
dictadura a todos los medios de co-
municacion. #
El profesor Manuel Mota fue a-
rrestado el 14 de -mayo por la Poli-
cia Especial. Llevado para el cuai
tel de la calle Barao de Mesquita
(Rio), donde paso mas de 50 dias,
fue torturado ffsica y moralmente.
Despues se constato que todo no pa-
saba de un engafio. El profesor fue
liberado en lamentable estado de
salud. No existe ningun proceso en
contra de el.
ASAMBLEA CAHPESINA
En Coroata, (Provincia de Mara-
nhao), el 31 de julio y 1 de afosto
bubo una asamblea de cerca de 100
campesinos, Ifderes de pequenas cornu
nidades. El comisario y 7 policias
decidieron arrestar dos campesinos
en el interior de la asamblea por
una cuestidn de tierras.
Los obispos Motta y Edmilson
estaban presentes e i ntervenieron
junto al comisario alegando que la
ley prohibe prisiones por cuestiones
de tierra. Los campesinos fueron li-
berados y examinados inmediatamente.
El relatorio medico oficial constato
que los dos habian sufrido torturas.
Uno de los hombres tiene 65 anos y ‘
el otro 17. # ^
anotaciones
La Comis’ion de Derechos Huma-
nos de la OEA el ano pasado ha soli^
citado permision al Gobierno brasi-
leho para que una comision visitase
Brasil para interarse de la situa-
cion de los presos politicos. El g£
bierno brasileno no solamente ha
contestado negati vamente a la OEA
como ha declarado que no existen
presos politicos en Brasil.
A raiz de todo el asunto juzg^
mos oportuno la publicacion en ese
boletin de la traduccion de una cajr
ta del Secretario Ejecutivo de la
Comision de los Derechos Humanos de
la OEA donde contesta un pedido de
informacioh sobre la situacidn de
un preso politico en Brasil.
La denuncia fue hecha por un
lector de ese boletin y que ahora
nos envio una copia de la respues-
ta de la OEA.
Prezado sehor;
Contestando a su carta de 30
de diciembre de 1970 donde pide in-
formaciones sobre la situacion del
Dr. Ernest Hamburger y su esposa,me
gustaria informarle que el gobierno
brasileno en una comunicacion de 8
de septiembre de 1971 ha contestado
nuestra carta de 26 de enero de i
1971 donde esta Comision solicitaba ]
dicha informacion. ]
22 .
I
1
c.ion, a unos iras otros menos, es po-
slble sin embargo, configurar dos
tendencias basicas en las cuales se
reagrupan los sectores militares Con
cierta nitidez, sobretodo en los pe~
rfodos de crisis o de decisiones im-
portantes como las “elecciones*' pre-
si denci al es .
dictadurA institucionAl
De un lado esta un grupo aue
podrfamos considerar heredero de“fac
to"de algunos lineamientos basicos
del gobierno del fallecido flariscal
Castelo Branco (primera fase de la
dictadura-, 1964/1967). Castelo fue,
junto con el general Albuquerque Li-
ma, el mill tar mas importante en
cuanto a representati vidad e influeii
cia de amplios sectores de las fuer-
zas armadas.
Los ‘trazos basicos de ese
grupo son los siguientes:
1. Considera que es impres-
cindible al pafs una "normal izacion
polftica", es decir insti tucional i-
zar en mayor medida el regimen que
prevalece.
2. Elio implicaria entre o-
tras cosas en:
a) otorgar algun significado al par-
lamento nacional, hoy dia reducido a
un papel decorative y ridiculo.
b) restablecer la vigencia de una l_e
galidad jurfdica, basada por cierto
en concepciones fascistas, pero por
lo menos definida y autorespetada ,c£
sa que hoy dfa no se verifica.
Serfa en fin el retorno mis-
mo a la constitucion de 1967 elabor^
da por el gobierno de Castelo Bran-
co.
3. Los ideologos mas ilustr^
dos de ese grupo como Roberto Cam-
pos, su miembro civil mas importan-
te anhela la construccion de un ver-
dadero "modelo politico" para la die
tadura, como condicion misma, en eT
largo plazo, para la estabilidad del
crecimiento economico. El actual es-
quema no solo intenta excluir cual-
quier parti ci paci on popular en el
proceso politico - con lo cual este
grupo esta de acuerdo - sino que im-
pide, segun ellos, la formacion y d^
sarrollo de una "clase" politica ci-
vil, crucial para mediar la domina-'
cion ejercida sobre el pueblo.
4. En el piano economico de
fienden ob jeti vamente posiciones de
total aperture y subordinacion al C£
pita! extranjero, limitando incluso
la participacion del Estado en el
proc.eso productive. Como es sabido,
en los ultimos anos, el Estado como
productor aumento su peso en la eco-
nomfa global, con juntamente con el
capital extranjero y en detrimiento
del capital privado nacional. Para. ^
llos, "nacional ismo" es crecimiento
economico y moderni zaci on - todo lo
demas es demagogia. Lo fundamental
en estos. tiempos serfa reducir la
participacion relativa del Estado en
la economfa en favor del capital pr^
vado. Y si adentro de este prevale-
ce el extranjero, es porque es mas
eficiente, lo cual serfa "mejor" pa-
ra la sociedad.
LOS nacionAlTstas-fa^ciSTas
Del otro lado esta el grupo
nacionalista-fascista, cuyo Ifder
fue el general Albuquerque Lima. El
fascismo es el atributo mas fuerte,
variando el ‘grado de nacionalismo
segun los subgrupos.
Sus trazos basicos son los
siguientes :
1. La 'institucionalizacion
no debe implicar en dar alguna parce
la, aunque pequena, de poder al Par-
lamento o al Poder Judicial. Esto
porque esos sectores terminarfan ha-
ciendo concesiones populistas que po
drfan abrir brechas peligrosas en eT
si sterna.
2. Lo que importa es el Bra-
sil gran potencia, dirigido por "elX
tes honestas y nacional is tas" . Su"n^
cionalismo" no implica sin embargo
en combatir el capital extranjero , si
no mas bien en fortalecer la particT
pacion del Estado en la economfa cojx
juntamente coq el capital extranje-
ro.
3. Defienden con entusiasmo
las 200 millas, Transamazoni ca , opo-
sicidn al Tratado de Desnucl eari za-
cion, etc. Respaldan y promueven ac-
tivamente la polftica externa mSs a-
gresiva, sobretodo respecto a Ameri-
ca Latina.
4. Del mismo mode, defienden
abiertamente el desarrollo de politi
cas de "integracion regi onal " tendi ein
tes ( supues tamente) a consolidar la
ocupacion del territorio y desarro-
llarlo mas armoni camente.
La caracteri zacion de esos
grupos obedece a un esfuerzo para
simplificar el anallsis y el hecho
de que tradi cionalmente se inspiran
en las dos figuras militares mas no-
torias desde el golpe: Castelo Bran-
co y Albuquerque Lima. Ya menciona-
mos que los jefes militares en mayor
0 menor medida oscilan entre ambas
tendencias, pero no obstante intent^
remos caracterizar a algunos miem-
bros de uno y otro grupo. No sera de-
mas insistir en el caracter relative
mente precario de las i nformaciones .
QUIEN ES QUIEN
El general Garrastazu Medi-
ci, actual presidente, representa u-
na especie de conciliacion de ambos
grupos, pendiendo ora para un lado,
ora para otro. En esas condiciones
resulto elegido por el "colegio" e-
lectoral militar, en octubre de
1969, despues de la muerte de Costa,
e Silva (segundo dictador). Su hijo
y algunos asesores especiales (coro-
neles Manso y Octavio Costa) se di-
cen "nacional istas" y "progresis-
tas"; (formarian en la "izquierda"
del grupo nacional ista-fascista) . A1
mismo tiempo conserva un castelista
tipico como su ministro de Asuntos
Regionales (general Costa Cavalcanti
- R) y a Delfin Netto que, si bien
no es el ideal de los cas tel is tas ,es
detestado por el grupo nacional i s ta-
fascista, que lo considera demasiado
liberal y entreguista (2). La Ifnea
del gobierno Garrastazu es fundamen-
talmente zi gzagueante .
Los conflictos entre caste-
listas y nacional istas fascistas son
internos, pero no se proyectan estejr
namente de manera clara.
Los primeros defienden una
especie de "via pacffica" para retor,
no pleno al poder - esperan hacerlo
en la proxima "eleccion", en 1973,
cuando los militares se pronunciaran
sobre el nuevo presidente. Para ello-
ban "trabajado" activamente a la ofi^
ci alidad, a parti r de los puestos
clave que controlan en el ejercito.
Pueden ser considerados de ese grupo
el ministro del Ejercito, general Or
lando Geisel, el jefe del Estado
yor del Ejercito, General Idalio Sar,
demberg (ex juscelinista y ex presi-
dente de la Petrobras en 1958/61; m^^
chos dirian que es todavfa del otro
grupo; no obstante parece haber cam-
biado sus posiciones) el jefe del E^
tado Mayor de las Fuerzas Armadas, G£
neral Souto Malan; el General Bina
Machado, comandante del ler, Ejerci-
to, con sede en Rio y es el mas im-
portante del pais.
Dominan asf puestos claves
en el ejercito, sobretodo despues
Que lograron alejar a los fascistas
exaltados, Generales Sizeno S'armento
y Canavarro Pereira* (que quiso inva-
dir Bolivia cuando el General Torres
asumio el poder) respecti vamente del
ler. y 2- Ejercito (Sao Paulo). (3)
Han tratado de transferir
gran parte de la oficialidad mas fa£
cista para el interior de Brasil, co_
mo medio de debilitarla. Sin embargo
el grup-o opositor tendria, no obstan_
te, mayoria en medio al conjunto de
losoficiales. (4)
Esta ci rcuns tanci a ha condr-
cionado la eleccion del candidate de
los castelistas a la presidencia :fu^
ron a buscar el hermano del actual
ministro del ejercito, Ernesto Gei-
sel, ex jefe de la casa militar de
Castelo Branco, que tiene un pasado
considerado nacionalista (cuando era
oficial mas joven) y ocupa, en el
presente, la presidencia de la Petr£
brad's, empresa estatal de petroleo
muy cara a los militares desde su
creacion comb simbolo del poder eco-
nomi CO nacional .
El grupo naci onal i s ta-f asci£
ta, pese a su mayor influencia en la
base, tiene menor significado en la
alta oficialidad del ejercito. Con-
trolan, no obstante, la parte sustaji
cial del aparato represivo, comenzan^
do por la maquina del SNI y pasando
por todos los organos de tortura y
asesinato. Su mayor peso esta en la
Aeronautica, en donde los fascistas
mas exaltados son liderados por el
brigadier Penido Bourni er jcomandan- .
te de la 3a. Zona Aerea (famoso por
su plan, hace 3 ahos., de echar al
mar a 200 km de la costa, desde avio
nes, a unas 200 personal idades civi-
les consideradas molestas para la
i
dictadura), que es respaldado por
el propio ministro de Aeronautica,
Marcio Melo e Souza. (5)
Igualmente es importante el
sigm’ficado de esa tendencia en la
Marina, en donde son sus seguidores
el propio ministro Adalberto Nunez,
junto al Almirante Radmaker, actual
vice presidente de la Republica.
ZIG-ZAG PERMANENTE
Los choques de los grupos
son diversos y los resultados comply
jos para el observador de afuera. En
marzo pasado, Albuquerque Lima fue
para^la reserve,, y no paso a ocupar
ningun puesto civil de significado.
El 28^de septiembre el general Rodri^
go Otavio Jordao, que en una epoca
fue mas castelista y en otra mas na-
cionalista, fue alejado de la direc-
.cion de la Escuela Superior de Gue-
rra (ES6). £1 General Rodrigo Otavio
despues de hacer declaraci ones di~
ciendo que era necesario "normaTi-
zar" insti tucionalmente el pafs^ ITje
v6 a la ESG el obfspo Avelar Brandao
para hablar de polftica.. El obispo
eii su conferencia dijo que estaba
bten que el gobierno combatiera eT
"terrdrismo”, pero que para los- de-
mas brasilenos podia volver la demo-
cracia. Ese fue el pretexto para la
dimision del general.
No esta claro si la caTda de
Rodrigo Otavio £ue una derrota para
los "castelistas" Pese a que estaba
hablando el lenguaje de §stos, dicho
general era muy bien considerado en
amplios sectores nacional tstas y an-
daba proyectandose come moles to can-
didate a la sucesion^ de Garrastazu.
Se crearon enton^ces condiciones para
que ambos grupos lo rechararan.
Pese a sus divergencias irr-
ternas, que se han^ traducido en una
intense disputa por el poder,. ambas
corrientes ban practicado la ITamada
"via pacifica“ en su enfrentamiento
reciproco ya que sus puntos de coin-
cidencia son suf i ci entemente impor-
I tantes para permitirles estab.lecer
I reglas del juego mas o menos defini-
I das. Los puntos de absolute a-
^ cuerdo son los seguientes:
1. Veto a una efectiva par-
ttcipacidn polftica popular, aun a-
dentro de los cauces de una democra-
cia faurguesa tradicional. ,
2. Represfon violenta a to-
dos los movimientos,. organizaciones
Q personas que real teen una oposi-
cioTT real contra el sistema. '
3. ET deseo de promover el
Brasil gran potencia, con liderazgo
sobre America Latina y a servicio
del "occidente” en contra el "comu-
nismo".
4. Preservacion y desarrollo
de algunas paracterfsticas fundamen-
tales “modelo econdmico" brasilefio,
que signif^ica integracion creciente
con los capitales externos, distrib^
cion del ingreso extraordi ndri amente
desigual en beneficio de una pequefia
parte de la poblacidn, salaries ba-
jos para trabajadores, consume de lu^
jo altamente di versificado , etc.
5. Ademas, estan de acuerdo
en impedir la emergencia de llderaz-
gos carismaticos importantes, espe-
cialmente' entre los mi li tares que o-
cupan puestos de significado. Por e-
sa razdn ban frenado la promocidn pu
blicitaria de la persona del general
Garrastazu Medici,, que babia sido
lanzada con mueba fuerza despues de
la victoria de la Copa del Mundo el
ano pasado, con el auxflio de Pele-^
5
I
y otros jugadores y mediante una ma-
quina promocional gigantesca. Ese a-
cuerdo es muy racional desde el pun-
to de vista de ambos grupos, pues im
pide su debil itamiento reciproco. Un
liderazgo muy fuerte podrfa tratar
de hacer compromisos con grupos civi
les para afirmarse mas, rompiendo el
esquema actual. Asf mismo, cortarfa
la mobilidad polftica vertical de
grupos y personas -adentro del cuerpo
militar, en la medida en que un sec-
tor podrfa .mantenerse por mas tiempo
en el poder. Por esa razon, aunque
la renovacion del mandate de Garras-
tazu no sea una posibilidad a descar^
tarse, es de muy dificil realizacion.
Se puede decir que el cambio de pre-
sidente es considerado por amplios
sectores militares tan necesario,
inevitable y normal como el de la
ascension y paso a reserva de ofi-
Esas coincidencias expresan
las caracteristicas basicas del go-
bierno de Garrastazu Medici, que re-
coge en. gran medida el pro imperia-
lismo mas inCondicional de la tendeii
cia “castelista" y el fascismo mas
exaltado de la segunda tendencia. Y
son suficientes para unir el cuerpo
militar que, en nombre de • su auto
preservaci on , es capaz de mantener.
se, externamente, con un razonable
f ndi ce de cohesion.
DOS CALlEJONES, NINGUNA SAUDA
Es diffcil preveer la evol^
cion futura del cuadro militar y, en
consecuencia , del proceso politico
de la dictadura, sobretodo como re-
sultado de un anal is is que dejo de
un lado un sinnumero de variables e^c
tremadamente relevantes. Sin embar-
go, serfa interesante llamar la aten^
cion para un hecho que nos parece aj_
tamente probable: ninguno de los dos
grupos 0 . tendencies se llega a con-
trolar totalmente el poder, tendria
condiciones de realizar aspectos fuii
damentales de sus proyectos, Como
mostraremos en seguida, esta hipote-
sis esta relacionada no con un par
de i nf ormaci ones coyunturales sino
que con datos es truccural es que in-
forman el proceso brasileho en estos
tiempos.
En efecto, la corriente ca£
telista dificilmente podra implemen-
tar sus planes de “normal i za cion ins
titucional y reabertura democr^tica.'^
aunque restri ngidas . ETlo se debe a
que, por un Tado, la fuerza popular
duramente reprimida, encontrara ra.-
pidamente los caminos de su expan-
sion, formando una abertura may.or en
los planes economico y politico, lo
cual podra significar la crisis eco-
nomica y el fin de la dictadura. No
olvidemos que el modelo economico
brasileho presenta como requisite
crucial altos grades de explotacion
economica sobre la mayoria de la po-
blacidn. Y es impensable que la fuejr
za armada, la gran burguesia y el im
perialismo esten de acuerdo en aut£
castrarse de esa forma.
Por otro lado, para la co-
rri ente naci onal is ta-f as ci s ta , aunque
llegue al poder, la independencia e-
conomica del pais jamas dejara de
ser un sueho. En primer lugar, sus
concepciones de nacionalismo no es-
tan relacionados con medidas antimp£
rialistas de significado. Se refie-
ren mas bien a esquemas que preser-
ven alguna parti ci paci on nacional(e£
tatal) en la economia y propicien aj_
gunos "saludos a la bandera", des-
provistos de mayor significado naci£
nalista como es el caso de las 200
millas. En segundo lugar, dada las
reglas del juego en que opera • el
sistema economico, consagradas y e-
xaltadas por la gran burguesia y 'el
imperialismo, el control externo de
sectores claves "rectores" de la ec£
nomia .aparece como- inexorable. A me-
nos que algunos sectores de los fas-
cistas exacerbados lograra hacer pr£
valecer sus puntos de vista en favor
de una especie de capitalisms “tomi£
ta", en que los lucros son vistos c£
mo maldecidos; esos sectores defier^
den un capitalismo sin capitalistas
y sin lucros, que es en la realidad
tan viable como un concierto de pia-
no sin ted ado y sin pianista.
Asf, limitados por los datos
estructural es que gobiernan la evol£
cion de la sociedad brasileha y por
la propia vigilancia y oposicion re-
cfproca, ambos grupos o tendencias £
parecen como protagonistas principa-
les visibles del cuadro brasileho ,p_e
ro con autonomia no superior a la de
personajes de un teatro de marione-
ttes.#
NOTAS :
(1) Debido a las dificultades para
su obtencion, las informaciones
registradas en este ensayo, so- _
6
bretodo los relacionados con noii
bres, deben ser tomadas, en gran
medida, como "supos i ci ones muv
probables*'.
(2) En el 2^ Ejercito instalaron al
General Souza Melo que, segun
consta en los medios del regimen,
antes de pe.rtenecer a la corriejn
te mas fascista, prima por su
ignorancia. Es conocido como "Me
lo chiflado".
(3) Como ya tenfa en octubre de 1969,
cuando Albuquerque Lima resulto
"elegido" para presidente por
los oficiales, resultado que el
cuerpo principal de generales no
"respetd" y bused entonces una
solucidn conciliatdria.
(4) Por debajo del aeropuerto del
leao, en Rio de Janeiro, los mi-
litares de la Aeronautica han
construfdo, reel en temen te , loca-
les de tortura y asesinato de
los sospechosos de combatir a la
dictadura, En este memento, de
las tres ramas de las Fuerzas
Armadas, la Aeronautica es la
que mas furiosamente tortura, tr]£
cida y asesina a los revolucion^
rios y, eventualmente , a todos
los ciudadanos que no esten por
sobre cualquier sospecha.
(5) Los *‘nacionalistas-fascistas"son
entusiastas de la "via pacifica
y electoral" en las disputas mi-
litares. Se esa via se rompe se-
ra probablemente por su iniciati^
va o por sus opositores en cara£
ter preventive.
«25 AT^OS PESPUES>> ,
el teatro denunciala dictadura
"Lo que espero de esta obra no.
es que ella cambie la situacion bra-
silena de la noche a la manana.Deseo
es que aquellos que vean la obra com
prendan esta realidad y puedan hacer
algo para modificarla antes de ser
aplastados por ella. Deseo tambien
que la obra sirva para alertar a a-
quellos que tienen la fortuna de vi~
vir en un pais donde existe la liber
tad".
Con estas palabras el joven
dramaturge P. Vianna dejo bien cla-
ro su intenci^n al escribir la obra
"25 Anos Despues" ora representada
en la sala Petit Rex por la Compania
de los Cuatro.
"25 Anos Despues", desde su tj_
tulo, indica que el fascismo esta'
vivo hoy, aunque fue aplastado al fi_
nal de la segunda guerra mondial. Que
esta redivivo en el regimen de te-
rror y opresion que se instauro en
Brasil en el aho 1964. Regimen que
ya asesin^o dezenas de patriotas; in-
capacito para la vida normal otros
tantos, y mantiene centenas de otros
apresionados en los campos de con-
centracion existentes en diversos
puntos del pais a ejemplo de la si-
niestra "Isla de las Flores" en el
Estado del Rio, en los cuartel es ,ma^
morras de la policia politica brasi-
lena, etc. Regimen que hace de las
torturas mas brutal es contra hom-
bres, mujeres y hasta ninos indefe-
sos su arma de poder, arbitrio y do-
mi nio.
Pero la mensagen del autor es-
ta justamente en la idea de que no
basta uno horrorizarse por las agre-
siones a que son sometidos los pue-
blos que luchan por su libertad. Es
necesario hacer algo contra ella. A-
sumir ante las luchas una posicion
definida, clara, militante. Combater
sin treguas el fascismo, con toda
fuerza de nuestra accion y solidari-
dad alli onde el -como en Brasil-
salga a Ta superficie con sus brotes
venenosos .
Con su obra, Pedro Vianna pre-
tende tambien demonstrar que el po-
der de la tortura no es ilimitado,
que las pos i bi 1 i dades humanas son iri
8
finitas y que el hombre puede reha-
cerse y luchar para eliminar las coji
secuencias que conducen a esa mons-
truosidad. Quien comprende lo que es
el fascismo y sus consecuenci as tie-
ne la responsabi 1 i dad de hacer todo
lo posible para impedirlo.
Pedro Vianna, cuya obra ahora
es levada a-T publico chileno, es ec
nomista y fue profesor de Matematic
en la Universidad del Brasil.
Su trabajo esta dirigido por
Maria Maluenda, destacada actriz, ex
pari amentari a del Partido Comunista
que ahora, por primera vez, surge c£
mo dirigente de una obra de teatro.
La escenografia es del "Grupo A" y
la iluminacion de Patricio Oroste-
gui .
En el desarrollo de "25 Anos
Despues" estan Raul Espinosa, Angela
Escamez, Nelson Bredt, Sergio Busch-
mann, Luis Olivares, Omar Baraliova
y Jaime Ramirez.
Domingos Tessier conocido ac-
tor teatral interpreta la repulsiva
figura del llamado "Doctor Ferreira"
quien, en el segundo acto de la pie-
za, por mas de 40 minutos, deja el
publico inmovil en sus asientos. #
oirtj
EL IMPERIALISMO
BRASILENO
EL ARTICULO SIGUIENTE ES UNA REPRODUTTfiM
TEXTUAL QUE APARECIO EN LA REVISTA BRAS ILP
RA "MANCHETE" A FINES DE OCTUBrI PASaSSIeU
daIx»’ MURILO I'IELO FILHO, ES UN PERIODISTA
BASTANTE VINCULAOO A LOS MILITARES Y lu^
SAS"^*^*^^^ *^*^^*^^*'* CONSIDERADAS "OFICIO-
Juzgamos interesante transcri-
bir el artfculo porque es un sfntoma
bien claro de la actual polftica ex-
terna agresiva brasilena en relacion
a America Latina adoptada por la die
tadura y de la amplia campafia ideolF
gica hecha por los militares utili-
^ndo todos los medios de comunica-
cion. Curiosamente no hace mas "que
confirmar las denuncias que tantas
veces hemos hechos en los boleti-
nes del Frente Brasileno de Infor-
maciones sobre el triste y patetico
subimperi al i smo brasileno.
Lo que no podemos permitir y
no estamos conformes es con el cre-
CTente avance de Brasil sobre Ameri-
ca del Sur" .
Esta frase pronunciada recien-
temente por un embajador sudamerica-
no esta hasta hoy dia atravesada en
la garganta del gobierno brasileno.
Progreso economico de 10%, ex
portaciones de 3 mil millones de dd^
lares, de los cuales mil millones
son productos manufacturados , infla-
cion decreciente y desarrollo cre-
ciente, Trans amazon i ca , industrias
nuevas, h idroel ectri cas , Mobral , Pro
terra, vehfculos, buques, carretera?
- todo esto con estabilidad polfti-
ca, paz social y tranquil idad para
trabajar - son los elementos que a
nosotros nos sobra y que estan fal-
tando del otro lado de nuestras fron
ter a'S .
dQue culpa tenemos nosotros?
tSomos culpables de haber encontrado
con el precio de la crisis, sacrifi-
cios, errpres e injusticias, nuestro
propio camin’o? tSomos culpables si
las cosas van bien con nosotros y de
no ir tan bien con ellos?
En el panorama internaci onal £
xisten actualmente naciones predesti^
nadas y naciones condenadas.
Al final, no hay ningun avan-
ce. Lo que existe es un pais con ca-
si 100 millones de habitantes - prac
ticamente la mitad de America del ”
Sur, y con 8 millones y 500 mil me-
tros cuadrados - tambien mitad del
continente sudamericano - que Lyn
Smith ha definido muy bien en el ti-
tulo de su A Half of a Continent .
Esta nacion de demografia y
dimensiones continental es ha perdido
mucho tiempo con el mismo tipo de
problemas politicos, ideologicos y
partidarios que hoy dia afligen a
nuestros vecinos. Pero, desde hace
algunos anos, esta nacion ha decidi-
do recuperar todo el tiempo perdido:
se^prepara, por esto, a dar, en los
proximos anos, un enorme susto en su
yecindad , dondecon una mezcia de ad
miracion, invidia y-temor, mucho se
habla de "brasil ianizacion'* y en "im
perialismo brasileno". ““
Nosotros estamos en el primer
grupo. Sabemos que nuestro horizonte
esta a la vista, aunque quizas no e_s
te al alcance de nuestra generacion.
Pero un pueblo no se mide por una o
dos generaci ones .
Lo cierto es que- tenemos un
destino a cumplir abajo del Rio Gran
de y de la linea del Ecuador, en eT
area de los tropicos que se desdobla
hasta el Polo Sur. tNo es este el
mismo destino de Estados Unidos en
el Polo* Norte; de Alemania, Italia,
Francia e Inglaterra en Europa; de
Rusia y China en Eurasia; y de Japon
en el Sudeste Asiatico?
Existen paises lideres y pai -
ses liderados . En esta distincidn iji
fluyen algunos faetores como la ri-
queza, produce! on-, poblacion, ingre-
so per capita, producto bruto, tama-
no, exportaci ones e inteligencia.
>
9
Nosotros., lo$ brasilenos, dis-
pojiemo? de todos estos elementos y
de alqunos mas.
Faltaba a nosotros solamente
el liderazgo, direccion y administr^
cion, que ahora tambien tenemos. Na-
die debe sorpreenderse , por lo tan-
to, si nuestros autos, camiones, te-
las, revistas, diarios, heladeras y
maquinas empezaren a invadir los mer.
cados. 0 si los Acuerdos de Robore,
las sondas-de Petrobras y la Hidroe-
lectrica de Siete Quedas hirieran
los sentimi entos naci onal i s tas de bo
livianos, peruanos y paraguayos.
Esta sera una inevitable cons£
cuencia de la capacidad, de precios,
de moneda y de fatalidad econdmica
que conocemos muy bien, porque de e-
11a sufrimos nosotros mismos, cuando
tenfamos que importer todo esto, pe-
ro de la cual nos liberamos a costa
de nuestro propio esfuerzo y traba.-
jo.
Go home, brazilians. Fuera con
los brasilenos. Sera con sorpresa y
casi horror que leeremos estos ulti-
matos rayados en las murallas de al~
gunas ciudades 1 atinoameri canas .
Pero cuando los haya leido,es-
taremos concientes del precio que
tendremos de pagar a partir de ese
momento por un liderazgo que no usur
pamos ni arrebatamos, pero que llego"
a nuestras manos en el contexto de
un proceso historico, politico, eco-
nomico y por condiciones geografi-
cas .
Ademas del desarrollo material
facilmente mensurables en los indi-
ces comp^arati VOS , esta ocurriendo en
los ultimos ahos un fenomeno altameji
te positivo para Brasil y para los
brasilenos: ha evolucionado muchp,
cual i tati vamente , el comport ami ento
del gobierno, de la empresa y de la
comunidad en general.
A1 mismo tiempo, se ha arraig^^
do en la conciencia del pais la con-
viccion de que cualquier nacion, pa-
ra progresar, necesita ser egoista,
defender sus productos, agredir los
mercados, invadir los puertos, dispu
tar los compradores, vender por eT
mejor precio posible, competir y ga-
nar los rivales.
En esta lucha, los paises que
se agigantan en el encenario van ex-
pulsando de el los compe ti dores .
Esto no quiere decir que teng^
mos que ser necesari amente enemigos
de nuestros vecinos. Por el contra-
rio. A la excepcion de periodos en
que tuvimos que defendernos contra
el expans i onismo de Rosas o Solano
Lopez, conseguimos preserver siempre
el caracter amistoso y cordial de
nuestr'as relaciones diplomat! cas en
todo el continente 1 ati noameri cano .
Bueno, por una fatalidad geo-
grafica, hemos sido condemnados a
vivir juntos en esta parte meridio-
nal del hemi s f eri 0 .Nues tras cancill^
rias se han preocupado de establecer
los parametros de una convivencia pa
Cl fi ca.
Mas que esto, no nos interesa
la desgracia de ninguno de nuestros
vecinos:
1 - Estrategicamente , tenemos
una gran frontera de 16.000 kilome-
tres, desparramadas y esparciadas,
que van de las Guayanas al Plata y
de las cuales necesitamos cuidar me-
jor, incluso por una cuestion de so-
brevivencia y de seguridad nacional.
2 - Economi camente , tenemos
con La ti noameri ca una relacion corner^
cial y mercantil que nos va bastante
bien, incluso por la cuestion de la
proximidad del trigo argentine, del
petroleo venezolano, de la lana y
came uruguayas, el pescado peruano,
el cobre chileno y del estafio boli-
viano. No faltan en la Cuenca del
Plata 0 en el Altiplano Andino las
voces de los hombres de gobierno o
de oposicioa, en la prensa y en la £
conomia, que defienden la necesidad
y la urgencia de que Brasil asuma su
posicion de res ponsabi 1 idad y lider-
azgo.
Nuestro interes, por lo tanto,
es el de que ellos caminen del mejor
modo posible. Quedamos preocupados
ante noticias que nos llegan acerca
de cada nuevo golpe o revoTucion, C£
mo las de esta semana en Argentina.
Estamos con disposicion para
ayudarlos, como ya lo hicimos con B£
. 10
BOLIVIA
PUEDES
CONTAR
CONMIGO
Banco do Brasil S.A,
LAPAZ-STA CRUr
INOUSTKIA eOLIVIANA
OVrXT ■•BlVCRIAW LA RA?
BOLIVIA
C0NTI60
El\l EL
DESARROLLO
0
Banco do BrasU S.A.
LA PA2 - STA CRU7
mOUBTMA QOLIVIAMA
orrm nuvtmjot'* ka tAt
CAJITAS DE FOSFOROS IGUALES
A ESTA FUERON DISTRIBUIDAS
EN BOLIVIA POR EL BANDO DO
BRASIL.
HAY UNA CURIOSA COINCIDEN-
CIA ENTRE LA CONSIGNA "PUE-
DES CONTAR CONMIGO" DE LAS
CAJITAS, CON LA QUE ERA UTI
LIZADA EN VOLANTES QUE CIR-
CULARON EN SANTA CRUZ DE LA
SIERRA EN EL PERIODO ANTE-
RIOR AL GOLPE FASCISTA DE
BANZER.EN ESTA OCASION (ver
boletTn del Frente Brasile-
no de Informaci ones 22, a
gosto de 1971, suplementoT
LA DICTADURA BRASILEnA DIS-
TRIBUYO VOLANTES DONDE SU6E
RIA QUE BOLIVIA SERIA TRAGA
DA POR EL "MONSTRUO" CHILE-
NO Y QUE LA PROVINCIA DE
SANTA CRUZ DEBERIA LUCHAR
POR DESCONOCER EL PODER DEL
PRESIDENTE J. J. TORRES. LA
CONSIGNA FINAL: "CRUCEnO,
CUENTA CON NOSOTROS".
livia, Guatemala y Panama y haremos
en escala creciente, no solamente
con Plata, pero tamblen con know-how,
tecnologia. Necesitamos que ellos se
ayuden a sf mismos. Sabemos que sus
gobiernos y pueblos son generosos y
bien In tend on ad os. Sus trad 1 clones
nada tienen que ver con el terror y
la locura de los Tupamaros en Uru-
Quay, de los Montoneros de Argenti-
na, del MIR en Chile, de las FLN de
Colombia, en Bolivia y en Venezuela,
Nuestras legftimas esperanzas
son en el sent i do que los pres i den-
tes Pastrana, Caldera, Ibarra, Ban-
zar , Alvarado, Allende, Stroessner,
Areco y^Lanuse, tengan e^xito en la
ejecucidn de sus programas de recupe
radon y desarrollo. Si algunos d?
estara naturalmente se
debintando frente a la subversion y
abriendo las puertas al caos y a la
bancarrota.
Es para la posibilidad de este
peligro que debemos estar siempre a-
tentos. Ademas: necesitamos ser fuer
tes en todos los sentidos.
Debemos ser a la vez bastante
realistas para no sonarmos encontrar
en los muros y en las calles de Bue-
nos Aires, Montevideo, Santiago, Li-
ma, Quito, La Paz, Bogota o Caracas
los amables dichos "welcome" o "bien
veni dos " .
Es muy natural que en todas e-
sas capitales exista hoy dfa la eru£
cion de un justo temor en relacion
al gigante vecino y largamente dormi_
do, pero que ahora ha despertado con
la disposidon de mostrar como es.
En esa disposidon existe un
impulso de progreso, una ansiedad y
una voluntad de trabajar que no tie-
ne^nada que ver con cualquier ambi-
cion 0 pretencion imperialista". #
11
feconomfa
Los Duehos
de Brasil
Delfin Netto, ministro de Ha-
cienda de la dictadura, tuvo el co-
raje de decir en una conferencia
que dictd en la Escuela Superior de
Guerra que el capital extranjero d^
sempefia un papel secundario en la
economia brasilena, pues es propie-
tario de no mas del 6 por ciento
del capital industrial total. Cual-
quier estudiante de economfa que co^
nociera algo de la economfa brasil^
na sabrfa que Delfin esta bromeando
0 mentiendo.
Desde un punto de vista cuant^
tativo es facil darse cuenta esa ci_
fra no expresa el peso del capital
externo en la economfa pues:
a) se calculo en base al "valor de
libro" de las empresas extranjeras,
obviamente subestimado (debido a la
inflacion, entre otras cosas);
b) se calculo en base el capital o-
riginalmente engresado para esas em
presasj que poster! ormente fue mul-
tiplicado por su expansion y por
los favores que recibieron interna-
mente;
c) asimismo, la cifra de 6 por cien_
to aunque fuera correcta, medirfa
solo una parte del capital indus-
trial controlado desde afuera, pues
una gran parcela del capital nacio-
nal esta asociado con el capital e-
fectivo (por ejemplo en empresas
mixtas -nacionales y extranjeras) .
A COMO LOS MILITARES ESTAN VENDIEN-
DO BRASIL EN SUAVES LETRAS AL IMPE-
RIALISMO. DELFIN NETTO, M.INISTRO DE
HACIENDA, DUO QUE EL CAPITAL EXTER
NO OCUPA UN PAPEL SECUNDARIO EN LA
ECONOMIA BRASILEnA. ANALISEMOS LOS
HECHOS.
una gran proporcion de los mercados
cons urn idores , constituyendoseasf
en verdaderos monopolies u oli po-
lios que comandan al sector indus-
trial. Es elemental, y el ministro
Delfin debe saberlo, que la empresa
monopolica -o un grupo de empresas
ol i gopol i cas- fija el precio, la c^
lidad, la forma, etc, de los bienes
que producen. Por esa razon y por
el control de la mayor parte del
mercado, son las verdaderas empre-
sas rectoras del sector a que se
vinculan.
LA POSECION DEL ESTAUU
La presencia del Estado, se da
con s i gni f i caci on sobre todo en los
sectores productores de artfculos
i ntej'medi os , como mineracion y si-
derurgfa, petroleo y derivados. En
ese"^senti do, el Estado no es mucho^
mas que un subsidiario de la activi
dad privada, que decide que, como^
y cuanto producir. La parti ci pacion
cuantitativa del capital privado n^
cional ya por sf pequena, no refle-
ja asimismo sus condiciones de de-
pendencia tecnologica del extranje-
ro, relacionada con la manera de e-
laborar y con la propi a modal idad
de los artfculos producidos.
Lo mas ironico de toda esa si-
tuacidn es que muchos militares ^ y
parte de la opinion publica brasiU
na que lee diarios y revistas pasa
a tener dudas sobre el dominio ex-
terno de la economfa, ya que la cen_
sura considera crimen en contra la
seguridad nacional decir a cuantas
anda el capitalismo brasileno. #
Por otro lado, desde un punto
de vista cual itativo-y esto es lo
mas importante- las empresas ex-
.tranjeras son las mayores, dominan
12
En resumen el gobierno brasile
no nos informc que el profesor Haw-
burger fue arrestado en 5 de dicX
embre de 1970, acusado de crfwenes
contra la seguridad nacional por
her ayudado a personas Inplicadas
en el secuestro de un diploroatico yi
otrcs actos de terror y violencia.
Nos informo tambien que la senora
Amelia, esposa del profesor tambien
estaba arrolada en las mlsmas acti-
vidades y que tanto elTa como el
profesor se encuentran ahora en li-
bertad vigil ada, pero sujectos a un
juicio criminal que se realize
ra en un tribunal milltar der Sao
Paulo (Segunda Auditorla da Segunda
Cl rcunscricao Judlciaria Hilftar).
Acres centaron que el acusado no fue
sometido a cualquier tipo de violen
da 0 coaclon^ “
La Comi si on examlnara este ca-
se durante la Z6a. Sesfdn programa—
da para Vina del Mar, Chile, a co-
mdirzar en 25 de Octufare de 1971*.
Nosotros le Inforraaremos de
cualquier decision que la Comisidn
pueda adopter en refacldn a este
so, de acuerdo con sus Estatutos y"“
Reglamentos *
Atencf osamente,
Luis Reque
Secretarlo Ejecutivo
TRIBUNAL B* RUSSELL PRETENDE
JUZGAR DICTADURA BRASILEnA
El profesor Lello Basso, quien
estuvb red entemente en Chile como
invltado espedal en un "Symposium"
promovido por las Uni versidades de
Chile y Catolica, manifesto al Co-
mite de Denunda de la Represfon
en Brasil su propdsito de gestlonar
en el sentido de que el Tribunal
Bertrand Russel se reuna para juz—
gar la dictadura braslleha y sus
erfmenes. El profesor Basso, como
se sabe, fue relator del Tribunal
B. Russell durante el juldo de los
erfmenes americanos en Vietnam y es
en la actualldad, miembro del Comi-
te Itallano Europa-Amerl ca Latina.
Las seslones del Tribunal, con
la propuesta del profesor Basso, e-
xamlnarfan el regimen milltar brasi
leno, en cuanto dictadura, y los
erfmenes contra los Derechos del
Hombre que comete.
El Cosnite de Oenuncia de la
presion pide la colaboradon de to-
dos en el sentido de que este pro-
yecto pueda efectivasiente reallzar-
se y gane mayor repercusion posible.
Esta colaboracidn se puede manifes-
tar a traves de:
1. - El envfo al profesor Basso del
miximo de material disponible
sobre los temas a ser tratados
en las reuniones del tribunal*
2. - Gestiones en el sentido de obte
ner que el maxiDo posible de
personas que fueron sometLidas a
torturas, o que verificaron, o
que experimentaron Ta represidn
en Brasil, sean ellas brasile-
nas Q extranjeras, se ofrezean
para declarer en las sesiones
del Tribunal.
La direccion del profesoi^ Le—
lio Basso es la sigui enter ”
VIA DELLA D06ANA VECHIA, 5
0QI85 - ITALIA* i
SALARIOS
De acuerdo a la "si nopsis pre-
limlnar" del Ceriso de 1970, divulga
da a comienzos de septi embre,, el sa
larlo mfnirao Industrial en Sao Pau-
To credo cerca de 19 veces, en ter
ml nos nominal es entre 1960 y 1970*”"
En cambio, la misma publlca-
clon del IBGE (Institute Brasileno
de Geograffa y Estadfstica) revela
que el costo de vida en el mismo
p^^rfodo auraento 32 veces. Asf, en
el tan hablado "modelo brasileno de
desarrollo",el llamado "milagro" e
conomi CO ^ tiene una Impllcaclon muy
poco sutllr reducclon de 41 por
dento del salarlo base de los tra-
bajadores Industrlales en el espa-
do de diez ahos. #
NUEVA DIRECCION
EL FRENTE BRASILEnO DE INFORMACIONES
COMUNICA A SUS LECTORES SU NUEVA DI-
RECCION:
CASILLA POSTAL 1073 - SUCURSAL 35
SANTIAGO DE CHILE. ^
23
DECLftSSIFICfeTION ADFTHORITY DEKiraD WBtM:
FBI AUrCM&TIC DECLASSIFICATION OTIDE
DATE □5-23-2016 BY: C3SW47B40
Tos SAC, LoQ Augo3.es
Ais*tol
1 - Foroign Liaison Unit
1 - Mr. L. J. Brune
1 - Mr. B. B. WilUains
4/22/74
Froa: Biroetor, FCi
lAfiioj loo-souas
BcLAIet and
: ^^vficrfjTiA 'r
liOgnt, Paris, tol, Loth dated 3/20/74.
i
i!
Jano Fonda and Thoiaas Uaydsn traveled to Hortli
Viotnaia during the lattor part of 3/74 or early 4/74 for
the purpose of laalclng a film Tshich tentatively x?ill bo
entitled ’♦North Viotnam 5?oday.” Los Angelos determined that
Fonda and Hayden plaanod to have a cameraman from the
Los Angeles area travel Tjith them. Logat* Paris, source,
on 3/29/74, advised that Fonda and Hayden were on route to
Hanoi, North Vietnam, and that they v/ill bo joined by
Haskell of Asel (phonetic)/.
HI)
i
\
Tho 4/14/74 issue of the ’’Washington 3 tar News,”
a Washington, B. C., daily newspaper, reported that Fonda
is visiting areas of South Vietnam controlled by forces
1 - iegat, Paris
1 - Logat, London!
~T~o77~T^
(r ■ .
Dm9':lo
( 12 )
w~
'i\: Vi--hm NOTE PAGE T170
I
b6
b7C
wmm:
hi;
Aiyt el to Los Angelos
Rc:
Haskell Wexlcr
62-55696
oppt^ed to the Saigop Government^ according to the North
Vietnam News Agency* Vonda was accompanied hy her husband,
Thomas Hayden, their S-month-old son, and American cameraman,
Haskell Wexler, the agency said.
Haskell Wexler, born 2/6/22 at Chicago, Illinois,
is a Hollywood, California, independent film producer*
Voxler has been involved in producing controversial films
and was a Communist Party member in tho 1940s*
As Wearier has been identified as the indiyidual
accompanying Ponda and Hayden, hos Angeles submit this
information in form suitable for dissemination together
with any additional pertinent information that has been
developed relative to this matter* This information is
timely and, therefore, promptly submit by airtel.
Copy of comunication is being furnished to
legat, Paris, and legat, London, as travel was via London
and information concerning the abovo-captionod subjects
may come to the attention of your sources*
b6
b7C
NOTE:
Information concerning Fonda and Hayden *s trip
to North Vietnam has rcooivod wido dissemination* It is
believed they intend to make a documentary film. As it has
been recently doterminod that Haskell Wenler, subject of
a cl<^ed soci:urity investigation, is accompanying Fonda and
Hayden, this information should be disseminated*
■
0
•:y ■
/'I
/
« 2 -
Di ssemination
Routing Slip
FD-417 (9-12-69)
ACTIUG
To: Director^tt.:
□ SAC,
I I Albany
\ I Albuquerque
I I Alexandria
I I Anchorage
( I Atlanta
( i Baltimore
I 1 Birmingham
I I Boston
I I Buffalo
I I Butte
( I Charlotte
( \ Chicago
I I Cincinnati
I I Cleveland
I I Columbia
I I Dallas
I I Denver
I i Detroit
{ \ El Paso
I I Honolulu
RE: HASKELL
SM - C
00 :
Qi
(Copies to Offices Checked)
9_th & D
\ 1 Houston
I I Indianapolis
I I Jackson
( I Jacksonville
I I Kansas City
I I Knoxville
I I Las Vegas
I I Little Rock
I I Los Angeles
I I Louisville
I I Memphis
I I Miami
I I Milwaukee
I I Minneapolis
I I Mobile
( I Newark
I i New Haven
\ I New Orleans
i I New York City
r I Norfolk
Date
(m)
I i Oklahoma City
I I Omaha
I I Philadelphia
I I Phoenix
( I Pittsburgh
I I Portland
1 ( Richmond
I I Sacramento
I I St. Louis
\ I Salt Lake City
I I San Antonio
I I San Diego
I I San Francisco
I I San Juan
I I Savannah
I I Seattle
I I Springfield
I I Tampa
I I Washington Field
2/23/71
teZLER, aka.
^Aeleteo c
BY LETTER^^?'.^
PER.F4t.B1A.REQl
subject iVas
Jl.
FT
has been
meet the new Adex
REMARKS:
Above subject was included in Category IV
of the Adex. A review of the file ‘
completed and subject does not
criteria as set forth in SAC Memorandum 21-72(E).|
Subject not being recommended for interview
inasmuch as he is not a member of any subversive ■
organization and because he is a self-employed
producer of films in Hollywood, California.
fiAP. JAMES T,. STAPTV.TCT.T.
NOT RECOREE®
21 WlAR 14 1913
BTFILE if: 62-5569^
^LAPILE 100-605C
1 - BUREAU (RM)
1 - LOS AHGELES
8
, OFFICE T.O.«=; AWPrET.Uq
5bMAR
FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-64)
f
Transmit the following in —
A I R T E L
Date: 4/30/74
(Type in plaintext or code)
(Priority)
DIRECTOR, FBI (62-55696)
FROM: SAC, NEW YORK (100-57568) (RUC)
SUBJECT: HASKELL'^WEXLER aka
SM - CPUSA
(00: LOS ANGELES)
r'kif
[uy
Re Legat, Paris airtel, dated 4/17/74, captioned
‘•JANE FONDA aka, SEDITION (KEY ACTIVIST), THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN
Enclosed for Cleveland are one copy each of
referenced airtels.
New York indices reflect one I ~
Cleveland is reques ted to advise if |
1 1 left the US during tne pertinent
period as set forth in referenced Legat, Paris airtel, 4/17/74.
New York files reflect that HASKELL WEXLER, born
2/6/22 at Chicago, Illinois, is a Hollywood, California inde-
pendent film producer. WEXLER has been involved in producing
controversial films and was a Communist Party member in the 1940* s.
A ^
Bureau (RM) "
^ - Los Angeles (100-60538) (RM) ^ ^
2 - Cleveland (Ends. 2) (RM) * MAY 2 19<4
1 - New York ^ ^
FZB:caf / ♦
f ' '
Appm\{edj ,,
' ' ‘ ' i'Spepial Agent in Charge
M Per
U.S.Government Printing Office: 1972 -- 455-574
1
F B I
yS-3fi (Ftav.* 5-22-6-)?
' / • . •
/ t
rXTENOEO
(Type injllintext or corfeLtASUN rAE/vTI-KSpn
{} AIR MAIL nF P0f| y 4/
^ (Priority) g^ Q t ftSSiFlCATlftW - -
(/!J^''K""
21
Transmit the following in
AIRTEL j
'i
lit
1
d
t
'll
'll (!/ (Priority) ^CUASSlFlCi
DIRECTOR, FBI (62-55696)
UNCMSS/CFIED
SAC, LOS jANGELES (100-60588)
HASKEL^IEXLER, aka /f V - '
SM - CPUS A •^ ~'^ rs
00: Los Angeles
Re Bureau airtel, dated U-l22/l^, v
10'^ h Ldt^
yl.
11^ 1/ I y
^ Re Bureau airtel, dated 4/22/74. v ^ {J^ff^ /'
Enclosed for the Bureau are fourteen (14)H^opies o/^.v
of a letterhead memorandum (LHM) setting forth information yy
that the above captioned subject accompanied JANE FONDA and .A
THOMAS HAYDEN to North Vietnam during the end of March _ or _ j
I the early part of April 1974 for the purpose of producing / J
M a motion picture film, , _ ' '
\ j Copies of an FD-376 have been stapled to this LHM
■^<^1 j to facilitate transmittal to United States Secret Service,
•'^r\w Washington, D.C. A copy of this LHM has been disseminated
zjvS to United States Secret Service, Los Angeles. Two additional
^ photograph of WEXLER is being furnished to the
£^“^^ureau for possible dissemination to Legat Paris and Legat
ll^ondon. [tefr84 P - 5'^ 'G9C^
H Source utilized in the attached LHM is
^
omoly Sources who advised they could furnish no informa
Sources who advised they could furnish no information
concerning the naturte o f t he film being prgduced by FONDA and
HAYDEN are! I and I
Jr Bureau (Enel. I *4^4) (RM)
- WFO (End. ^1»)
.16 MAY 20 1974
4 - Los Angeles
(p\- p7~50M)
(p.\- 100-7185P)
/rc/pl^jrf7‘/
Approved:
by
?icc /i//-/e/ c < )(e/'i^ /)
yiy(r47^jr/^///p\ r//y/y</
c Arr/fc^/T/jj
Special Agent in Charge
^ y < 5 "
Copy
by i»outlng slip fcrt*
0 iafor Q action
date /d/<;/V
by
ni
A-^r o^,./ ^//M r//7/p(^
rpjjg
S/^tT/U-A
LS.Govcirn merit Printing Office: 1972 — 455-S74
LA 100-60588
This investigation was initiated on information to
the affect that the above captioned subject was at one time
engaged in activities which could involve violation of
Title 18, United States Code (USG) 2385 (Advocating Overthrow
of the Government). 2383 (Rebellion or Insurrection), 2384 (Se-
ditious Conspiracy); or Title 50 USG 781-798 (Internal Security
Act of 1950 and the Communist Control Act of 1954) ,
The above captioned subject when interviewed in
1961 admitted membership in the Communist Party.
The Communist Party USA (CPUSA) has been designated
by the Attorney General pursuant to Executive Order 10450. The
CPUSA was described on 5/28/42 by the then Attorney General
as ”... from the time of its inception in 1919 to the present
time, is an organization that believes in, advises, advocates
and teaches .the overthrow by force and violence of the Government
of the United States.” The CPUSA was also cited on 12/4/47 and
9/21/48 by the then Attorney General as a "subversive organization
which seeks "to alter the form of Government of the United States
by unconstitutional means”. There has been no evidence that the
primary aims and objectives of the CPUSA have changed over the •
years .
LEAD
LOS ANGELES
AT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Will endeavor to develop
additional information concerning subject's travel.
WASHINGTON FIELD OFFICE
At WASHINGTON. D. C. V/ill review the records of the
Passport Agency, Department of State, to determine if WEXLER
declared the purpose for his travel*
- 2 * -
FD-376-(Rev. 10-9-73)
ttIj’T'tt?
Y^ITED STATES DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
100-60588
WASHINGTON, O.C. 2053S
62-55696
Director
United States Secret Service
Department of the Treasury
Washington, D. C. 20220
May 13, 1974
In Reply, Please Refer to
File No.
RE: HASKELL WEXLER
Dear Sir:
The information furnished herewith concerns an individual or organization believed
to be covered by the agreement between the FBI and Secret Service concerning protective
responsibilities, and to fall within the category or categories checked.
L □ Threats or actions against persons protected by Secret Service.
2. □ Attempts or threats to redress grievances.
3- □ Threatening or abusive statement about U. S. or foreign official.
4* □ Participation in civil disturbances, anti-U. S. demonstrations or hostile
incidents against foreign diplomatic establishments.
5. □ Illegal bombing, bomb-making or other terrorist activity.
6. □ Defector from U. S. or indicates desire to defect.
Potentially dangerous because of background, 'emotional instability or
activity in groups engaged in activities inimical to U. S.
Photograph □ has been furnished Unenclosed □ is not available.
Very truly yours ,
Clarence M- Kelley /
Director /
1
Special Agent in Charge (Enclosure(s))
U. S. Secret Service^ Los Angeles (EM)
Enclosure(s)
In Reply^ Please Refer to
File No,
t
unite!) states department of justice
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Los Angeles, California
May 13, 1974
HASKELL WEXLER
The April 14, 1974 issue of the "Washington Star News"
a Washington, D.G, daily newspaper, reported that Jane Fonda
is visiting areas of South Vietnam controlled by forces opposed
to the Saigon Govemraent according to the North Vietnam news
agency. This article states that Fonda was accompanied by her
husband, Thomas Emmett Hayden and their eight month old son,
and an American cameraman, Haskell Wexler the agency said.
Jane Fonda is a well known motion picture
actress who during the conflict in North
Vietnam was an outspoken critic of the
United States' involvement in this conflict
as well as an outspoken critic of the Nixon
Administration.
ALL INFORWION CONTAINED
HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED
picwsyE
T
.
V . * w
HASKELL ^XLER-
^pChomas Emmett Hayden, one of the original . ' :
•- Wgariizers of the Students for a Democratic-
Society (SDS) was the principal author of . ’ • ’ •
the Port Huron statement, v;hich formed the • ■' •
ideological structure of the SDS. Hayden '■ . .
was one of five convicted in February 1970^ - •' ' • '
in a Chicago conspiracy trial of crossing ’ , ■ '
a State line with intent to incite r'lots ‘ •
during the August I968 Democratic National
Convention in Chicago. During November 1972
this conviction v^as reversed by a Federal • .
Appeals Court. . ' • - .
SDS w’as founded during June 1962, at Port Huron,
Michigan, and in the I96OS functioned as the
leading New Left 'campua-based student organiza-
. tion in the United States. From an initial
posture of "participatory democracy," SDS moved . •
to a' radical-revolutionary position, with debate
centering on how best to create a revolutionary
..youth movement. .Internal I'actionalism .produced ;
a split during- the SDS National Convention in
June 1969 which resulted in- the following
three factions: V/eatherman; V/orker Student ■
Alliance fV/SA^; and Revolutionary Youth
Movement (RYM).’ The Weatherman and RYM are ‘ ,
no longer affiliated with SDS. The' WSA' ‘ •
continues to use the' name SDS and maintains . •' '
- its national headquarters- in Boston, . ... . •
Massachusetts. • '.. ■ • ‘ .V '
V/eatherman, formerly a faction of SDS, • .
controlled the SDS National Office from . . ' ' • ■
June 1969 until its closing in February
1970. V/eatherman then entered an under-. -.
ground status and adopted a .tactic of . '. ' J - ■
.strategic sabotage," with police and • .- ' ..
military installations designated as • V ‘ .
primary targets. • . • ‘ .’
V/SA, a faction of SDS, was expelled from • • •.,'••••
SDS ip June 1969^ by the then dominant '• .' . ... '
'. Weatherman faction but continued to use the ‘ •■ . . • . •
name SDS and opened an office in Boston,- .'•' •
HASKELL WEXLER . . ' j ■ .
5 . •
Massachusetts, V7here its current; head-. ' ' .
quarters are located. WSA is al^ign^d
ideologically V7ith the Progressive 'Labor
Party (PLP). Its official publication, is
• "Nev7 Left Notes.” • " i’. ' •
, i
The PLP founded in 1%5 by former members
of the GPUSA, who assertedly fo^owed a
Chinese Communist line, is a revolutionary
Marxist-Leninist organization dedicated to
a dictatorship of the working .class.
; The KYM, a pro-communist revolutionary youth
organization, was organized in 1969, first as
a faction within the SDS, then as a separate
• group "with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
• PYM was unsuccessful in attracting support
and by mid-1970 it was practically defunct.
In an article that appeared on page 9 of
"Takeover”, Volume 3, Number 17, dated
October 10, 1973 - October 24, 1973, an . ■ ■ •
underground newspaper published in Madison,-
Wisconsin, Thomas. Emmett Ha^'-den in relation
to support of Karl ton Armstrong, ^who -recently-
pled guilty. to Second Degree murder and arson
' - charges which stemmed from the bombing of the
Univers'lty of Wisconsin at Madison, Wisconsin
• -. on August 24, 1970, is quoted as saying when-
the' time comes for bombings-, when people can
•understand bombings, I will be the first one ,
to load a truck full with explosives .and drive
it* into a building...! am not kidding and ybu-
-can quote me so that you can remember this day
• . ' • • ' i ‘
HASKELL WEXLER
On April 25, 1974, a source who has furnished
reliable information in the past advised that Haskell Wexler
who resides at 6950 Oporto Drive, Los Angeles, California,
and who is self-employed as an independent film producer
operating under the name Dove Films, 722 North Seward
Street, Los Angeles, California, accompanied Fonda and
Hayden to Van Nuys for the purpose of making a motion picture
film which depicts Vietnam in a state of total destruction
following the conflict in Vietnam. This source advised that
Wexler in the past has concentrated in producing films which
were generally anti-establishment in nature and attempted to
emphasize the imperialistic nature of the United States,
On July 27, 1961 Haskell Wexler was
interviewed by Special Agents of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation at which
time he advised that he was a product of
a wealthy, family and had always been a
nonconformist and inclined to take the
side of the miiiority. Wexler said that
some time during the war in 1943 or 1944
when he was a seaman he joined the Communist
Party and was a member of the Seaman' s ,
Branch of the Communist Party in New York City .
Wexler said he attended meetings of the
Communist Party, however by the time the
war had ended he had become disenchanted with
the Communist Party because they were always
trying to regiment him, Wexler claimed that
he was at the time of interview opposed to .
communism and is a loyal American, '
Confidential sources who have fupiished reliable
information in the past advised during April of 1974 that they
have no knowledge of the nature of the contents of the film
which Hayden and Fonda are producing in Vietnam, In addition
the press media in the Los Angeles area have not devoted
any information concerning this production by Fonda and Hayden,
On May 6, 1974, the first source advised that Wexler
returned to the United States from a trip abroad during the
latter part of April 1974. This source stated that he was
unable to substantiate any information to the effect that Wexler
while abroad visited North Vietnam.
HASKELL WEXLER
A description
Birth Data
Residence
Emplo3nnent
Race
Height
Weight
Hair
Eyes
Complexion
of Haskell .Wexler is as follows:
Bom Febiniary 6, 1922
at Chicago, Illinois
6950 Oporto Drive
Los Angeles, California
Self-employed as an independent
film producer doing business
under the name Dove Films
722 North Seward Street
Los Angeles, California
. ..Caucasian
6 feet 1 inch
' 160 pounds
Brown
Brown
Light
—
—
UDOODODDDDDnaomODO
Routing Slip
0-7 (Rev. 12-17-73)
TO: SAC:
Albany q
Albuquerque
Alexandria
Anchorage
Atlanta □
Baltimore Q
Birmingham
Boston (][
Buffalo g
Butte
Charlotte
Chicago
Cincinnati Q
Cleveland Q
Columbia Q
Dallas C
Denver □
Detroit C
El Paso □
Honolulu r
(Copies to Offices Checked)
Houston
I Indianapolis
Jackson
I Jacksonville
Kansas City
Knoxville
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Louisville
Memphi s
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Mobile
Newark
New Haven
New Orleans
New York City
Norfolk
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Portland
I Richmond
I Sacramento
1 St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
San Juan
Savannah
Seattle
Springfield
Tampa
Washington Field
Qu anti CO
TO LEG AT:
( i Beirut
I I Bern
I I Bonn
1 I Brasilia
I I Buenos Aires
□ Caracas
I i Hong Kong
I I London
I I Madrid
I I Manila
I I Mexico City
I 1 Ottawa
I I Paris
i I Rome
I I Singapore
□ Tel Aviv
( — I Tokyo
5/20/74
HASKELL HEXLER
SM-CPUSA
Re:LAART. and LHM 5/13/74
Retention For appropriate
I \ For information optional action Surep, by
I I The enclosed is for your information. If used in a future report, Q] conceal all
sources, paraphrase contents.
I i Enclosed are corrected pages from report of SA
dated
Remarks:
Only one copy of subject*s photo recieved
at FBIHQ. Furnish copies for transmittal
to Legats London and Paris.
Ehc.
Bufile
Urfile
dddddddodododddodddd
Routing Slip
0-7 tRey.. 12^17-73)
TO: ..SAC:
Albany □
Albuquerque j I
Alexandria j 1
.Anchorage □
Atlanta j |
Baltimore [ j
Birmingham □
Boston □□
Buffalo □
Butte □
Charlotte Q]
Chicago □
Cincinnati I j
Cleveland | 1
Columbia □
Dallas □
Denver □
Detroit □
El Paso □
Honolulu □
(Copies TO Offices Checked)
Houston I I
Indianapolis □
Jackson □
Jacksonville □
Kansas City | |
Knoxville □
Las Vegas □
Little Rock □
Los Angeles | 1
Louisville \ 1
Memphis □
Miami \ [
Milwaukee { [
Minneapolis □
Mobile i 1
Newark 1 1
New Haven □
New Orleans □
New York City | j
Norfolk □
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Portland
Richmond
Sacramento
St* Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
San Juan
Savannah
Seattle
Springfield
Tampa
Washington Field
Quantico
TO LEG AT;
i I Beirut
n Bern
□ Bonn
I I Brasilia
I I Buenos Aires
I i Caracas
I I Hong Kong
S] London
i 1 Madrid
I i Manila
I I Mexico City
I I Ottawa
Paris
I I Rome
I I Sing^ore
I I Tel Aviv
n Tokyo
HASKELL TffiXLER
SM-CPUSA
RejLAART. and LHM 5/13/74
Retention For appropriate
For information □ optional □ action □ Surep, by
1 1 The enclosed is for your information. If used in a future report, □ conceal all
sources, □ paraphrase contents.
i I Enclosed are corrected pages from report of SA
dated
Remarks;
Date .
5/20/74
Extra copies of
FBIHQ by LA. Copies
LA.
photo not furnished
being requested from
Enc.
Bufile
Urfile
PAR-1 (Rev. 2-26-70)
OPTIONAL FORM NO, 17
may 1962 EDITION
GSA GEN. XEC. NO. 27
/j ■ UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
'/ Memorandum
#
TO
FROM
Director, FBI ( 62-55696
Attention:
SZ-HS
Paris ( lOO-«a0i9)
^ DATE: 5/30/74
) ( P )
SUBJECT: HASKELL WEXLER, aka,
SM. - CPUSA
OOt LA
Re LA air tel and LHM, dated 5/13/74
[75 On _5/30/74 dissemination was made of referenced LHM
to:
□ On
the enclosed information was received from:
b7D
Remarks:
Bureau
Paris
VVK/jmd
( 2 )
L.
Routing Slip
•FI>4(R‘ev. 12-22-69)
To: Director
Date
$/23/lk
Att.:
□ SAC-
□ ASAC ,
□ Supv. .
□ Agent .
□ SE_
□ IC
□ CC_
I I Steno .
□ Clerk .
FILE BU 62-55696
LA 100-;kl^88
Title HASKBLiUmXLER, aka
SM-CPUSA
00; LA
RF- ur R/S attahced.
□ Rotor #:
I I Acknowledge
I I Assign Reassign
I I Bring file
I I Call' me
I I Correct
I I Deadline
ACTION DESIRED
I I Open Case
Prepare lead cards
I I Prepare tickler
I I Return assignment card
I I Return file
Q] Search and returi^
I I See me
[^Serial#
□ Post I I Recharge
I I Send to
I I Return
I I Submit new charge out
I I Submit report by
□ Type
( I Deadline passed
I I Delinquent
I I Discontinue
I I Expedite
□ File
I I For information
I I Handle
I I Initial & return
I I Leads need attention
□ Return with explanation or notation as to action taken.
Attached are 2 extra copies of subject photo
per your requests c /f
/ /f/c/o /ciyi6/i^&4r ^ o/y
7 ^yye/7t/ ifA^/U/6'
SAC
L. startze:
REGTISTERED MAIL
See reverse side
Office .
LOS ANGELES
not recorded
I7JUN 5 1974
58JUMof
☆ gPO: 1972 47a-390/l0
PAR-1 (Rev. 2-26-70)
OPTIONAI PORM NO. HT
MAY 1962 EOITtON
GSA GEN. REG. NO. 27
GSA GEN. REG. NO. 27
UNITED STATES GC^^^NMENT
Memorandum
TO :
Director, FBI (
Attention:
)
DATE:
6/12/74
FROll}^
^ Legat, Paris ( 100-3248
) (
RUC)
Y
SUBJTCT:
HASKELL WEXLER
SM - CPUSA
X
Re Bureau R/S 6/3/74, enclosing photos of subject.
m On
□ On
□
lemarks:
1. Bureau
'll - Paris
VVK/jmd
( 2 )
CSju' ' •
lis semination was made of photo of subject
to:
-the enclosed information was received from:
fr 5^ '~ 3 ‘
25 1974
date: 6/28/74
UNCLASSIFIED
HASKELL WEXLER, aka
SM ~ CP USA
00: Los Angeles
Bufile 62-55696
Los Angeles IOO-60588 (P)
Re Los Angeles letter and letterhead memorandum
(LHM), dated 5/14/74, bearing the' caption of THOMAS EMMETT
HAYDEN and JANE FONDA j and, Los Angeles airtel, dated
5 / 13 / 74 , bearing the caption. HA SHELL WEXLER.
Enclosed -for the Bureau are ten copies of a LHM
setting forth information pertaining to the trip to North
Vietnam made by FONDA, HAYDEN, and WEXLER.
L INFORMATION CONTAINED V
•REIN IS UNCLASSIFIED
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
JULY 1073 EDITION
GSA FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.6
UNITED STATES, GijKtRNMENT
TO : DIRECTOR, FBI
: SAC, LOS ANGELES
SUBJECT
Source utilized in the attached LHM is
who furnished reliable information in the past.
Copies of an FD 376 have been. stapled to the LHM
to facilia.te transmittal to United States Secret Service,
Washington, D.C. A copy of this LHM has been disseminated
to United States Secret Service, Los Angeles.
Qj- Bureau (Enel. 10) (RM) ^ ^
t : ■ ,/Jl - ■
•Tc/cis *
tr 50 jyjL 8 1974
^CW-
cr
j^ayroU Savings Plan
S Origin^ FiW li
LA 100-71853’
LEADS
WASHINGTON FIELD
AT WASHINGTON, D.C. ; Will review the records
of the Passport Agency, Department of State, for passport
•information pertaining to WEXLER.
LOS ANGELES
AT. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA : Will follow and
report activities of FONDA and HAYDEN.
2 *
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT .OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
In Reply, Please Refer to Los Angelss , California
Fife No. ■ June 28, 197ij-
JAME FONDA ■
TPIOMS EMMETT HAYDEN
HASKELL V/EXLER
On June 24, 197ll.>- ® f ". source,, who has furnished
reliable information in the past, advised that Jane Ponda
made an apparance before a small ^ groi^ ate 2936 West 8th
Stereet, Los AngeleS',, Cali f^ni a7'''dia'''|^^ 17, 1974> where
she addressed the group by saying that she, her husband, .
Tom Hayden,, and Haskell Wexler, had recently returned from,
a trip to North Vietnam, where they had been working on a
new motion picture concerning Vietnam, which would be
- released in the United Steate.s In the very near future,.
Ponda, according to source, said they had been in
Vietnarfl for a very short period, but while they were there,
she and her husband had taken many films of the. '^beautiful,
brave, people'^, who were patiently trying to rebuild thein
country vjhich had been devastated by United States bombs,
and military forces^ Ponda,. in her speech, gave indication
that the film vjhich she, Hayden, and Wexler produced was
concerned with the "reconstruct! on of North Vietnam".
/1L,L INFORMATION CONTAINED
This document contains neither recommendation nor conclusions
of the PBI • It is the property of the PBI and is loaned
to your agency;; it and. its contents are not to be distributed
outside your agency*
ENCXObW®'
THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN
This source advised that Fonda criticized
the present United States Government- Administration . '
for -what she called prolonging the suffering in Vietnam
and for financially aiding the South Vietnamese Government
in order that they may purchase .military equipment.
.Fonda stated that the people of Vietnam, especially women
and children, are continually bel.ng killed and maimed^
by the prolonging of this war, which she attributed directly
to the United States Government. Fonda also indicated
that in the picture, v;hich V'ras being- produced by her,
Hayden and Wexler, they are- attem.pting to inform the American
people of this "great abuse" caused by the United States
financially supporting- the South Vietnamese Government.
Jane Fonda is a well known motion picture
actress who during the conflict in North
Vietnam was an outspoken critic of the.
United States' involvement in this conflict
as well as an outspoken critic of the Nixon
Administration. ^
Thomas Emmett Hayden, one of the original •
organizers of the Students for- a Democratic
Society (SDS) was the principal author of
the Port Huron statement, which formed the
ideological structure of the SDS. Hayden
was one of five convicted in February 1970,
in a Chicago conspiracy trial of crossing
a State line with intent to incite riots
during the August I968 Democratic National
Convention in Chicago. During November 1972
this conviction was reversed by a Federal
Appeals Court..
SDS was founded during June 19^2, at Port Huron,
. Michigan, and in the 196OS functioned as the
leading New Left campus-based student organiza-
tion in the United States. From an initial
posture of "participatory democracy," SDS moved
to a radical-revolutionary position, with debate
THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN
centering on how best to create a revolutionary
youth movement. Internal factionalism produced
a split during the .SDS National Convention in
June 1969? which resulted in the following
three factions: Weatherman j Worker Student
Alliance (WSA)j and Revolutionary Youth
Movement (RYM) . The Weatherman and RY 14 are
no longer affiliated with .SDS. The WSA
continues to use the name SDS and maintains
its national headquarters in Boston,
^ Massachusetts-.
Weatherman, formerly a faction of SDS,
controlled the SDS National Office from
June 1969 until its closing in February
1970. Weatherman then entered an under-
ground status and adopted a tactic of
"strategic sabotage," with police and
military installations designated as
primary targets.
WSA, a faction of SDS, vjsls expelled from
SDS in June I969, by the then dominant
Weatherman faction -but continued to use the
name SDS and opened an office in Boston,
Massachusetts, where its current head-
quarters are located. WSA is aligned
ideologically with the Progressive Labor
Party '(PLP). Its official publication is
"New Left Notes."
*
The PLP founded in I965 by form.er members
of the CPUSA, who assertedly followed a
Chinese’ Communist line, is a revolutionary
Marxis-t -Leninist organization dedicated to
a dictatorship of the working class.
The RYM, a pro-communist revolutionary youth
organization, W 8 .s organized in 19^9> first as
a faction within the SDS, then as a separate
group with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
RYM was unsuccessful in attracting support
and by mid -1970 it was practically defunct.
THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN .
In an article that appeared on page nine of
'Takeover", Volume 3, Number 17, dated
October 10, 1973.- October 24, 1973 , 'an
underground newspaper published in Madison,
VJisconsin, Thomas Emmett Hayden in relation
to support of Karlton Armstrong, v/ho recently
pled guilty to Second Degree murder and arson
.charges which stemmed from_ the .bombing of the
University of Wisconsin at Madison, Wisconsin
on August 24, 1970, is quoted as saying "when
the time comes for bombings, when people can
•understand bombings, I will be the first one
to load a truck full viith explosives and drive
it into a building...! am nof kidding and you
can quote me so that you. can reme.mber this day".
On July 27, 1961, Haskell Wexler was interviewed’
by Special Agents of the FBI at which time
he advised that he v;as a product of a wealthy
family, had been a non-conformist and inclined
to take the. side of the minority. Wexler
said that some time during the Pall in 1943^
or. 1944, when he was a seaman, he joined! " -
the Communist Party, and was a. member of the
Seaman’s Branch of the Communist Party in
New York City. Wexler said he attended
meetings of the Communist Party, . however,
by the time the war had ended he had become'
disenchanted with the Communist Party because,
they I'/ere always trying to regiment him.
Wexler claimed that he was, at the time of
interview, opposed to Communism and is a loyal
American.
« 4 *
36^vRev. 5-22-64)
F B I
Date:
7/2/74
Transmit the following in
AIRTEL
(Type in plaintext or code)
Via
Assoc. Dh’.
Dep.-A.D.-Aam — I
Dep.-A.D.-Inv. 1
Asst Dir.; i
Admin.
Comp. Syst — —
Ext Affairs —
Files & Com-
Gen. Inv.
Went
Inspeetiom^-l^g^jX
Laboratory J—-
Plan. & Eval. .
Spec. Inv.
/
(
TO:
PROri:
HASKELL“JEXLERs
Sri-CPUSA
(00:LA)
DIRECTOR, FBI (62-55696)
SAC, WFO (100-38598) (RUC)
aka
wunES-n
(Priority) ^ •
AttiNFQRfWt0N-G9rfF/yNBn- %:^^SnrL^
HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED
nuxuin iw vpiav*- »ww.. RmI
P'y^H^ctor Sec*y
-1 j n •T)-
Re Los Angeles airtel to Bureau, 5/13/74.
Referenced a.irtel requested 1‘TFO determine from
subject’s passport file lyhether he declared purpose for his
travel (to North Vietnam during end of J-ferch or early April,lM'f
o')
1974).
His file, reviewed by SC
disclosed follox'ring information dated in 1974:
on 7/1/74,
i
b7C
Application dated 3/13/74, at Los Angeles shows subject
intended to travel to Thailand and Japan for purpose of filming
for three weeks; that he vrould depart via air about March 18.
^ ^le indicated he had taken one previous trip abroad within the
^\last twelve months. Application shox-js Pan Am ticket. Plight 1,
February 22, 8:45 a.m., Los Angeles to Bangkok, vras seen by
passport authorities. Attached to application vra-s St.atement
,v. |, ,i^of Inability to Present Previously Issued Passport dated 3/13/74,
-Pn vrhich subject sta.ted his 1972 passport vjas misplaced in house
t 6950 Oporto Drive; he discovered loss 3/12/74, xfhen he xvent
look for passport in desk; tha.t police authorities not
htified. To inquiry whether he had lost or had stolen a previoufj:
passport he ansxfcred '-No. Not lOOJ^ certain. If soy a long time
ago
*•' Memo in file dated 3/22/74, shows .subject’s renu ost ._£ qt2
■a^Sureau REC- 102
Los Angeles (IOO- 60588 )
( 1 - 157 - 5089 )
( 1 - 100 - 71853 )
1-WFO
JUL 9 1P74
MB : mor
(7)
b6
b7C
Approvec
- 1 6
j
Spnt
M Per
Special
m Charge
U.S.Government Printing Office: 1972 — 455-574
* H-
'f
0 100~30i->9G
ouznoor'c {jorvlccG liaci bt,-on cancol-Dd n.n ronn.cGtocI by tpn.-iobon«'
.rMid notc.tlon vraz v:rltton on hlz p/rol::c.nt-*o,n T)r-*r,r'o^-b
(■lo. :o 0(16727) raG found. ' " “ ... u
j/j’ letter dated oub.'Ject roquortod autliori^::'
to travel to Cubci fo.r ‘ourpoGo of X'-'or-^^in;'* '■-n a doc''i'i''Oi'it.brv ('"iii’
'.lO Gta,tca R 2 a.k:iri;;; o-f t/ilo filim vara raolo "ourooee of trri'o to Oifor
and Gxpoctod date o.f d'5pa’"tur(' vr-ara oborm an rJimo ';::o f-Vi.V
coiito.inra letter of ondorraor'cnt d'!,tod '!/tr)/7^’! '‘“jf
'.'I'^oy^C'^ionra Inc.^^lDoo I5t.b Cfcroet, V'erabln'-'ton" --.c.
^ .«..vy) . ».^Gao,^.]ia ^^U 0 JecG vva.ra boan^'* ov^oio^'^o^’t to d,o car’oi^'o
for public i.orvico docuraontary .filw on On]:;), to bn raoTd nr^''a'r-i
for toleviralon ui-jq.- .Accorcl;<,nq to 'lerr.o :ir,i fllo dr.te^
-Voque.st for validatioii of subj'ect'c pa.Gcport (do, D
for travel to Cuba was approved.
, It. pointed out toat , under current n'jseooj't
re; '.ula'GiOiis , a po.ssport ito.'/ bo uoec^. by tbe b<'j.?.ror ‘■'’or Trf ’ful
travol^\;itl:tlii_tb.- period of its validiti^ t;I'‘’never and. ra ’often
desired without .further notification to
(\00 3
of S’ce^te 01 ^ other ; ^overniav-^nt a,^^ODcy; lOho .?r.rr>Port O-P/tce
not receive infornation as to xdicthcr or rhon a nnacno-nt •■r,
usea for forei^^n travol.-
I't is to bo noted subject's n.assnort file v'as lo.st
rovio''..'’e<.i 3/‘^9/bl, ajicl rv.';3ults fu.rnish<.>d. ciiieario arid nos 'ri iri
by hl'O letter Vlu/6l. ^('o brinp file up to date, the fonn-di-
additional infornation is bein'j set fortrn
Passport
IIo.
033011 xras isruoo to cuJjJect 3./2/b''',
at i.,os Ancoles for proposed four-day travel ?or purpose of
aonte Carlo Piln .tcostival (no indication travol would bo
to countries otiior tJian ’.onaco). Port of dOTiarture''s)-ioxTO
Los Avicolor. via Pan An about 1/2/0'?. On rjnniication at
/■n-elGs dated l/2/b3, subject stated ho w.as' issuoii Passport
fo. h 23.h201 on 10/22/62, wjticn passport was r.c-ori by nassnort
.authorities wion subject applied for 196O •'.asspori; .‘bJbjcch’';
‘file contains no application for this 1''^^'" pa.sSi.ujjrt, no'^* doos'
it contain any other reference to this oassport*.
-tlOil
•’X
V.TO 100
Pacaport 'fo. 00u727 wos ir-r.ua<^ to r.ub.icct l/ 3 f/ 73 ‘
for proposed business travel for three 7 :oq!:s to Pinf^land.^
France., Italy, and Sifit norland. Application da.tod l/l'''/ 73 ;
oy wail cbovxs e::pectod. dooarture date of 3/3/7'^ •! via ai"*^.
Passport valid for five years' travel to all oountri-n oxoc:y'c
Cuba, iJortb j'orea, and Porth Vietna:-,i.
area code <113. v hoKO y51”1771;. business
■Phono nunoc^rs rnlven
351-1070. Social
tJeeurlty i.uraborc 'eas ;>ivon p.s 330 - 13 -^ 71 :
✓
Paotoa’ro.ph of subject frori Ip 7 -'J , apjiliCcation encldsod
for Loo iingelGs.
If any of the forey.oina Informtio/i;,
c^raph, is dissorflimtuci outsiuo txio Gurc-iau t.tie
c]ian,:‘ed to ‘United Ltates dovernront' records,
source nust then be oho\;n on the acaiinistro.tivG
Passport ot'fico, Lapo.rtiriont of dtato.
inclnc'in-' p'boto-
source nust
na actu.al
pr.pft! a.s tne
'2
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
JULY 1973 EDITION
GSA FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.6
TO
FROM)
subject:
UNITED states GOllRNi5^NT
Memorandum
DIRECTOR, FBI (62-55696)
SAC, LOS ANGELES (100-60588) (C)
£L
date; ^/ 20 pk
UNCLASSIFIED
HASKELirWEXLER, aka
SM - CPUSA
00; • Los Angeles
( ce
Re/L!os Angeles letter and letterhead memorandum (LHM)
dated 6/28/74, bearing the caption "THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN, SM -
KEY ACTIVIST"; "JANE FONDA, aka, SM - RA", in addition to the
above caption.
Enclosed for the Bureau are four copies of a
LEIM setting forth information pertaining to the return of
WEXLER from his trip to North Vietnam,
Copies of an FD-376 have been stapled to this LHM
to facilitate transmittal to U.S. Secret Service, Washington,
D.C. A copy of this LHM has been disseminated to U.S.
t - «
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
100-60588
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
62-55696
WASHINGTON, D.G. 20535
August 20, 1974
Director In Reply, Please Refer to
United States Secret Service File No.
Department of the Treasury
Washington, D. C. 20220 RE: HASKELL WEXLER
Dear Sir:
The information furnished herewith concerns an individual or organization believed
1 to be covered by the agreement between the FBI and Secret Service concerning protective
responsibilities, and to fall within the category or categories checked.
I 1- n Threats or actions against persons protected by Secret Service.
2. □ Attempts or threats to redress grievances.
3. □ Threatening or abusive statement about U. S. or foreign official.
4- □ Participation in civil disturbances, anti-U. S. demonstrations or hostile
incidents against foreign diplomatic establishments.
5- □ Illegal bombing, bomb-making or other terrorist activity.
6- □ Defector from U. S. or indicates desire to defect.
' 7. Potentially dangerous because of background, emotional instability or
I activity in groups engaged in activities inimical to U. S.
(
j Photograph has been furnished □ enclosed □ is not available.
Very truly yours,
1 - Special Agent in Charge (Enclosure(s))
U. S. Secret Service, Los Angeles (RM)
/)
Enclosure(s)
r
4 >
In Rcpfyf Please Refer to
File No.
^UNITEIWTATES department of JUSW^E
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Los Angeles, California
August 20, 1974
HASKELL WEXLER
A source advised that Wexler is currently in the
Los Angeles area residing at his residence located at
6950 Oporto Drive, Los Angeles, California, and is occupied
as a film producer under the name of Dove Films, 722 North
Seward Street, Los Angeles, California, This source advised
that little is said in the film industry concerning the
motion picture made in Vietnam by Wexler but it is generally
known that this film emphasizes the rebuilding of North
Vietnam.
On July 27, 1961, Haskell Wexler was interviewed
by Special Agents of the FBI at which time
he advised that he was a product of a wealthy
family, had been* a non-conformist and inclined
' to take the side of the minority. Wexler
said that some time during the Fall in 1943
or 1944, when he was a seaman, he joined
the Communist Party and was a member of the
Seaman' s Branch of the Communist Party in
New York City. Wexler said he attended
meetings of the Communist Party, however.
ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN IS^UNCIASSIFIED
> 7 1 !?
Source whose identity is concealed herein
has furnished reliable information in the past.
This document contains neither recommendations nor
conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and i
loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be
distributed outside your agency.
WEXLER
by the time the war had ended he had become -
disenchanted with the Communist Party because
they were always trying to regiment him.
Wexler claimed that he was at the time of
interview, opposed to Communism and is a lo 5 ^al
American.
Title 50, United States Code (USC), Section 781
(Internal Security Act of 1950) stated that, as
a result of evidence adduced before various
committees of the Senate and House of Representatives,
Congress found the existence .of a world communist
^evolutionary movement, ^ose purpose is to establish
a communist totalitarian dictatorship in the world's
countries through the medium of a world-wide communist
organization. Communist action organizations in
various countries endeavor to carry out the objectives
of the world communist movement by bringing about
the overthrow of existing governments by any means.
The communist organization in the United States --
the CPUSA — pursuing its stated objectives, presents
"a clear and present danger to the security of the
United States." The Subversive Activities Control
Board,- established by Section 791 of the above Act,
found the CPUSA to be a communist action organization.
This finding was upheld by the United States Supreme
Court in June, 1961. The CPUSA. has continued to be
an arm of the international communist movement i»‘
dominated by the Soviet Union. The CPUSA, in its
dependence on the Soviet Union, has never knowingly
adopted a position contrary to Soviet Policy. Its
leaders frequently confer with Soviet leaders to
receive guidance and direction on the policies the
CPUSA is to follow. • There has been no evidence
that the primary aims of the CPOSA, as they conform
to Soviet objectives, have chaiaged over the years.
OPTIONAL FORM NO, 10
JULY 1073 EDITION
GSA FPMR (41 CJ-RI 101-11,6
HASKELL WEXLER, aka
SM - CPUSA
00: Los Angeles
Bufile 62-55696
LAfile 100-60588 (C)
Re Los Angeles letter and Letterhead memorandtuii (LHM) ,
dated 6/28/74.
Enclosed for the Bureau are ten copies of a LHM
setting forth information concerning the documentary produced
by the above captioned subjects during the time that they were in
North Vietnam.
Two copies of LHM enclosed for New York.
b6
b7C
f
r ^
I
Copies of .an FD-376 have been stapled to this LHM to
facilitate transmittal t;o U.S. Secret Service, Washington, D.C.
A copy of this LHM has been disseminated to U.S, Secret Service,
Los Angeles.
Bureau (End. 10) (RM)
2 - New York (End. 2). (RM)
5 - Los Angeles
TG/cls
ilp 7
Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Keiularh on the Fay roll Savings Flan
lu
Sc'
5oio.no
LA 157-5089
LA 100-71853
LA 100-60588
LEADS
NEW YORK
' at new YORK CITY . NEW YORK ; New York Office should be
alert to any press reviews concernxng this production, reporting
s^e ll foZ luitable for dissemination, if such
indicate the nature of this production is contrary to the best
interest of this Nation.
LOS ANGELES
AT LOS ANGELES, CALIFO RNIA : Will follow and report
activities of FONDA and
In Reply f Please Refer to
File No.
# ' . #
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Los Angeles, California
November 19, 1974
• JANE FONDA
THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN
HASKELL WEXLER
Appearing in the November 10, 1974 edition of
"Star News"i a Pasadena, California, daily newspaper,
was an article bearing the caption "All In The Family".
This article states as. follows:
"One of the stars of Jane Fonda’ s latest
film is a one-year-old boy- - her son, Troy,
product of her recent marriage' to activist
Tom Hayden.
"Earlier this year, Fonda, Hayden, and baby
Troy visited Vietnam, both North and South. With
them went cameraman- director Haskell Wexler. He
filmed Hayden and Fonda as they traveled about the
countryside meeting ordinary Vietnamese and
surveying the reconstruction of the North.
"The result is a 60-minute dociimentary in color,
’• Introduction to the Enem)^.», The film opens this month
in New York City and will be exhibited mostly in
collegetown theaters throughou t the country ."
c 9^ -
This document contains neither recommendations nor
conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is
loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be
distributed outside your agency.
|l
kf
JANE FONDA
THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN
HASKELL WEXLER
; • .Jane Fonda is a well kriown motion picture
; ■ .actress who during the conflict in North
■ Vietnam was an outspoken critic of the
. • ■ United States’ involvement in this conflict
■ . . • as well as an outspoken critic of the Nixon
' . ■ • . Administration. .
Thomas Emmett Kayden, one of the original
• organizers of the Students for a Democratic
* •••. ' Society (SDS) was the, principal author of
-• Port Huron statement, which formed the
ideological structure of the SDS.
■ .was one of five convicted in February 1970 ,
• ’ . in a C.hicago conspiracy trial of crossing
/ , a State line with" intent to incite riots
■ • (during the August I92S Democratic National .
, • Convention in Chicago, During November 1972
this conviction was reversed, by a Federal . _
Appeals Court. . . • • . -.r
SDS wais founded during June I962, at- Port Huron,
*•" •• •••.• • Michigan, and in the I96OS. functioned. as the
• ■ . leading Hew Left campus-based student organiza-
. ’ . tion in the United States. Prom an initial
■ posture of ’’narticipatory democracy, SDS moved
■ -to a radical- revolu’t ionary position, with debate
centering on hov/ best to create a revolutionary
youth movement. Internal factionalism produced
•a split during the SDS National Convention in
June 19^9? which resulted in the following
three factions:’ Weatherman,: Worker Student
Alliance hlSA) ; and Revolutionary Youth
Movement (RYM) . The Weatherm.an and RYM.are
no longer affiliated v/ith SDS. The -WSA ^
continues to use the name SDS and maintains
its national headquarters in Boston,
Massachusetts.
JANE FONDA
THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN
HASKELL WEXLER
Weatherman, formerly a faction of SDS,
controlled the SDS National Office from
June 1969 until its closing in February
•' 1970. Weatherman then entered an under-
. ground status and adopted a tactic of
"strategic sabotage," with police and - .
military installations designated as
primary targets. _ .
WSA, a faction of SDS, -vfas expelled from
SDS in June 19 ^ 9 > by the then dominant
Weatherman faction but continued to use the
. name .SDS and opened an office in Boston,
•Massachusetts, where its current head-
quarters are located. WSA is aligned
ideologically with the' Progressive Labor
• Party (PLP) . Its official publication is
"New Left Notes."
; f * ;
The PLP founded in 1955 by former members
of the CPUSA, ’rv’ho a-ssertediy followed a
• Chinese Communist line, is a ‘revolutionary-
Marxist-Leninist organization .dedicated to
■ a dictatorship of the working class.
The RYM, a pro-communist revolutionary/ youth
■organization, -was organized in I969, first as
a faction v^ithin the SDS, then as a separate
group with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
RYM was unsuccessful in attracting support
^ and by mid-1970- if vjas practically defunct..
- 3 -
\
JANE FONDA
THOMAS EMMETT HAYDEN
HASKELL WEXLER
In an article that appeared on page nine of
’’Takeover", Volume Sj Number 17> dated
October 10, 1973 - October 24, 1973> an '
’underground nev?spaper published in Madison,
Wisconsin, Thomas Emmett ’ Hayden in .relation
'to support of Karlton- Armstrong, who recently
.pled guilty to Second Degree m^urder^and arson
charges which stem.med from the .bombing of the
University of Wisconsin at Madison, V/isconsin-
on August 24, 1970, is quoted as saying "when
the time" comes for bombings, when people can
understand bomibings, I v/ill be the first one
to load a truck full v;ith explosives, and drive
if into a building...! am. not kidding and you
can quote me so that you. can rem.ember this day «
Oh July 27, 1961 ,' Haskell Wexler was interviewed'
by Special Agents of the FBI at vmich time •
he advised that he was a product of a wealthy
family, had been a non-conformist and inclined
to take the side of the minority. V/exler
said that some time during the Pall in 1943,. -.
or 1944 , v/hen he was a seaman, he joinedi
the Communist Party and v;as a member of the
Seaman’s Branch of -the Communist Party in
•New York City. Wexler said he attended
meetings of the Communist Party, however,
by the time the war had ended he had become
disenchanted v/ith the Ccm.munist Party ^ because
• they were alv/ays trying to regiment him.
Wexler claimed that he was, at the time of •
interview, opposed to Communism and is a loyal
‘ American. • •
-<70
-s^
* •<j<5
-•77
-7S
" “V9
0EC2 01977
CHANGED TO
7<?0VmS-C/;5)
- C3
-(s^iO
- s
~/0
-/V
-/5'
-/6?
J^/ jc^kh
O
(Rev".
Ji
THE CASE OF
THE PIRATED
SOUND TRACK
By MITCH TUCHMAN
A civil case filed by two film makers
against the government and bear-
ing tantalizing parallels to the
Pentagon papers case is slowly wending
its way through the California court sys-
tem. When it finally gets its day in court,
the case may define the limits of govern-
ment right to seize a film maker's work
as part of an on-going investigation.
In their suit filed in California Superior
Court earlier this year, the plaintiffs, film
leakers Emile de Antonio and Ha skell
-^/^ler (see article above), confSI5'5iat'
Oi e.FBI attempted to obtain by burglary
their uneditedfilmand even pirated their
.sound track in an effort to narrow the
'search for the subjects of the film, the
Weather Underground.
Their story has all the elements of a
political thriller. It also bears a fascinat-
ing resemblance to the 1974 Pentagon
Papers case, which ended in mistrial and
dismissed charges against Daniel Ells-
berg and Anthony Russo for leaking top-
secret documents to the press. The
government lost its case after disclosure
that the CIA had aided the White House
in an investigation of EUsberg, that the
government had wiretapped him and
that White House agents had burglarized
his psychiatrist’s office.
The events of this new case began in
1975 during the fOming of “Under-
ground,” a documentary about the
Weather Underground Organization.
(The Weather Underground Organiza-
tion evolved from the Weatherman Or-
ganization, which in turn had been a
splinter, so-called “action faction” of the
now-defunct Students for a Democratic
Society. Impatient with the radical rhe-
toric of the larger group, the Wcather-
man Organization often resor ted to well- ^
publicized violence. When some of its
own ejqplosives accidentally de.slroyed a
Greenwich Village townhouse in 1972,
killing several of its members, the re-
maining members went underground,
changing their name to the Weather Un-
derground Organization.)
The principal film makers of “Under-
ground” were De Antonio and Wexler.
Their fugitive subjects, hoping to publi-
cize their philosophy with a documentary
film, had entrusted the task to Be Anto-
r 'i
4 %
/■
. . I
"nio on the basis of his earlier films critical j
of the Warren Commission Report
(“Rush to Judgment”), of the war in
Vietnam (the Oscar-nominated “In the
Year of the Pig” and of Richard Nixoa-
era politics (“Millhouse: A White Come-
dy”). De Antonio chose Wexler. a re-
nowned cinematographer and documen-
tary director rBrazih A Repor« on Tor-
ture”), to co-produce and shoot the film.
What happened once production be-
gein, according to a letter that Leonard ■
Weinglass, the film makers' attorney,
wrote to his clients, “reads like a bizarre ■
script (that), if not for the consequences, ■
could strike one as amusing.”
“Underground” had begun as a film i
without images. The fugitive Weather-
people (high on thejgSI’s most- wanted
list) has established ground rules for
filming! no faces, no recognizable loca-
tions, no questions with answers to
i threaten their security. Eventually toee
“nonimages” were devised: the fugitives
behind a gauze scrim, the fugitives with
their backs reflected in a mirror, the fu-
gitives looming as an out-of -focus,
foreground mass— pretty sparse stuff for
a movie intended to humanize what some
people considered a bunch of surly, left-
j wing bombers. Later on, De Antonio
1 added from stock footage what he called
(in a letter to this writer) “the classic
■ shots of civil rights and the peace move-
iment out of which the Weatherpsople
your sound track as far as the security of
it?”
De Antonio: ‘%e felt it was pretty X
good.”
Swearingen: “Are you aware that . . .
your sound track was ‘invaded ?
De Antonio: “I transferred-that myself
(from recording tape used on location to
That episode in their lives concluded,
the fdmmakers turned to other projects.
-Then on May 1, 1979, a phone call to De
Antonio from Wesley Swearingen, a re-
tired FBI official, now a critic of the
bureau, brought them sharply back. (De
Antonio toped the conversation and pro-
I vided a transcript to this writer. )
Swearingen: ‘^How do you feel about
|T6mm magnetic track suitable for edit-
ing) in a sound house in Los Angeles. But
we weren’t aware that any law enforce-
ment agency was on to us at that point"
Swearingen: “We weren’t. Someone in
that sound studio had overheard some of
your recording by mistake and then
proceeded to tape it . . . taped it and
turned it over to the FF } T . "
Taped it? Turned it over, to th e FRT ?
De Antonio was stunned by the irony of
months spent in a cramped and semi-se-
cr et New Yoxk,City editing cubicle cut-
Exec AD Adm.
Exec AD Inv. ..
Exec AD LES .
Asst. Dtr*:
Adm. Servs. .
Crim. Inv.
Ident.
Insp.
Intell. .
Lab.
Legal Coun. _
'Off. Cong. &
• Public Affs.
Rec. Mgnt.
Tech. Servs. .
Training
Telephone Rm.
Director's Sec'y
Hi
6
The Washington Post .
‘k) ,
The Wall Street Journal
The Los Angeles Times(kkl|(|A£s^O
The Christian Science Monitor
Date-
y - / /■) yj
Page,-
IL
FBl/DOJ
ting picture and sound from wiiicn air
clues to Weather Underground where- !
abouts had been excised, when th e FBI
had more complete transcripts than the
film makers themselves. '
Together, De Antonio affirms, he and ,
Wexler have assembled a scenario, the ,
one they will present when their case ■
against the gg? and also Terry Walker, a
Hollywood motion picture sound studio |
[proprietor, goes to court. De Antonio and ,
I Wexler are charging the ^ FBI and Walker :
with copyright violations and breach of contract.
Their scenario is based on several sources: on De An-
tonio's conversation with Swearingen and on their sub-
sequent correspondence and taped conversations; FBI
i ntemaLdocuments released to De Antonio through a
oflnformatlon Act lawsuit, and the pre-trial
deposition of W^er.
This scenario.'describes how Walker secretly dupli-
cated portions of Uie “Underground" sound track during
’ the film’s post-production phase in 1^5 and turned the
duplicate over to the FBI and how the FBI transcribed it i
and disseminated it to its field offices. |
The new scenario further reveals one instance of ■ j
■ hush-hush FBI cr^tarialysis, two “bag jobs” (illegal i
entries), an FBI tactic specifically prohibited by direc-
tor J, Edgar Hoover himself a decade earlier, and nvune-
rous wild accusatior^ of sedition- and possession of ex-
plosive devices.
According to Terry Walker's 70-page deposition, he
and Wexler had done business together before: TV
commercial sound tracks. On Friday, May 9, 1976, Wex-
ler introduced Walker to De Antonio. Wexler said De
Antonio was a psychiatrist collaborating on a film about
the new “existential transactional analysis,” said their
sound track was strictly confidential, said De Antonio
Vpuld do the transfer from recording tape to motion
picture “mag . track” himself yet pay regular prices for
the use of the equipment. No one was to listen in. Those
were the terms of tteir oral contract. Walker agreed.
* Returning at ^jf’s end. Walker was alerted by an
employee: De Antonio had been acting peculiarly— gig-
gling, growling, grimacing as he listened to his tapes.
Walker letit pass: “He's got to be crazy to be a psychia-
trist.”
Alone in the studio with De Antonio Saturday, Walk-
er became intrigued, his deposition continues,, when the
giggling began again. His curiousity was whetted: “I
went into the back room to go to the bathroom. The two
rooms are tied together . , . I stuck in a headset and lis-
tened to what he was listening to" (Walker’s first al-
leged breach of contract) .
"I heard a group of people talking about ‘our con)-
rades’. . . I figured it was his patients doing a play. . .
“I went to the batluroom, and (when) I C6une back
through the room ... I picked (the headset) up again,
at which time I heard a reference made to . . . blowing
uptheSenate. .
Walker eavesdropped less than one minute, he
claims: “I pulled the headset out and threw it ,on the
shelf and ran out to the desk and literally took my gun
out. . .and put a newspaper over it. I was panic-strick-
“I had aU kinds of Noughts as U> what was goii^ to.
happen to me with them having this material there. '
Walker started duplicating the sound track (his sec-
■ ond alleged breach of contract) and writing notes for his
employees Monday morning: “If I am not here, some-
thing has happened to me. It is‘ Haskell Wexler. Call the
cops."
In all, his deposition claims, he copied about three i
• hours of tape: “After De Antonio left, I locked the doors,
searched for bombs." Later- that evening, he phoned the
I FBI. Monday- morning. May 12, he handed over the du-
1 plicate Uq>e (his final alleged breach pf c ontract).
he FBI, Sweanngen told De AntoWyearslater,"
I was flabbergasted, enraged, delighted. Scores of
■ K FBI agents and millions of dollars had been con-
centrated on unsuccessful attempts to apprehend Ber-
nadine Dohm and the other Weather fugitives. Swear- :
ingen told De Antonio. Twenty agents in Los Angeles, |
under Swearingen’s leadership, had been doing nothing
else. Efforts in Chicago and New York had been even
greater: “I would say approximately 100 •( agents) work-
ing close to full time (nationally),” Swearingen con-
. tinned, on tape, when he and De Antonio met face to
1 face in 1980 to collaborate on an (unpublished) article
i for Rolling Stone. (Dohrn and several other fugitives
I surfaced voluntarily in 1980 after 11 years under-
1 ground.)
1 The FBI, on receiving Walker’s tapes that Monday,
I went into an uproar, Swearingen revealed; the fugitives
! were at hand. Stenos set to work immediately making
transcripts of the tapes (the FBI’s first alleged copy-
I right violation) to distribute to all field offices (its sec-
ond alleged copyright violation).,
j Swearingen recalled to De Antonio: “I thought' the
1 FBI v/as treading on thin ice, because it’s more than the
. FBI invading your privacy; it’s some private company
invading your copyright.”
FBI documents now in De Antonio’s possession reveal
that by midnight Monday the bureau had “instituted”
what it calls “discreet FISUR” (physical surveillance)
of Wexler, of De” Antonio, of their film editor Mary
( Lampson, and of Antoinette O’Connor, with whom De
I Antonio was staying in Los Angeles.
■ On Tuesday. May 13, 1975, De Antonio mailed a pack-
age (as a favor to O’Connor, he recalls). The FBI inter-
cepted it at the Venice Post Office and found a whistle,
three keys, and a copy of Paul Schrader’s script for
“Rolling Thunder.” “Rolling Thunder” was subjected to
cryptanalysis (decoding). The addressee, a young L..A.
independent producer, was interviewed. So were his
parents.
Later that day, the FBI documents reveal, U.S. Asst.
' Atty. Robert Bonner informed L.A. FBI agents that he
I would authorize the arrest of De Antonio for accessory
after the fact, concealment of a felony and harboring fu-
gitives, if he were found in possession of the film.
I Los Angeles International Airport, was staked out in '
case De Antonio tried to leave town with the film;'
agents were prepared, Swearingen revealed, to retrieve^
the film from his checked baggage. (In fact, De Antonio
says, he flew out of town under an alias; Lampson car*
ried the film ill her luggage. )
• Two days later the FBI, according to internal corres-
pondence, pondered additional charges: rebellion and
insurrection, seditious conspiracy and unlawful posses-
sion of firearms, explosives and incendiary devices.
A week later Bonner obtained federal grand jury sub-
poenas demanding that the film makers submit all ne-.
gatives,. tapes and tracks of the film. De Antonio con-
tended in a recent interview that th e FBI , unwilling to
wait for the film's premiere, wanted to get updated pic-
tures of the fugitives for, its files— and so thoroughly
frustrate the film makers that they would abandon the
project, . , . j
What the FBI got instead was a noisy First Amend-
ment outcry from 32 Hollywood celebrities, who signed
a petition stating: “We support the right of people to
make a film about any subject. . , .” The subpoenas
were “temporarily withdrawn,” said Bonner in a phone
interview— and never reinstated.
Shortly thereafter, in a night telegram, the Chicago
' field office notified FBI director J. Edgar Hoover’s office
and nine other field offices that “discretion should be an
important part of this investigation. The FBI does not
want to be placed in a situatioaof affording free nation-
wide publicity to' this film. The circuslike atmosphere of
the press conference held by the film producers in Cali-
fornia following revelation of FBI knowledge of the film
during spring 1975 should not be allowed to reoccur."
But surveillance did continue, the FBI documents re-
veal. Special agents, unable to pick De Antonio’s lock,
failed ip tw o' attemp ted, breakjns^ (o f hi s office an^
fhrnn^.fHes eventually were established on everyone I
listed in the film’s credits. Auto licenses of cars parked
near Wexler’s home were checked with the California
Department of Motor Vehicles. De Antonio’s long-dis- 1
itance phone and MasterCharge transactions were scru-
Itinized. European agencies were informed of the inves-
■^igation. - ’ J
1 In the Pentagon P^ers case, the governments con- L
tended that no one may steal ihfonriatiphlfof a higher
i piapo’se. In thisf eagd, 1^ Aiitohio fiays. It will have to
I argue the opposite. '
“Our case,” De Antonio stated in a letter to this writ-
er, “is a copyright case grounded in the First Amend-
i ment. It is a case that makes the point that the FBI was
always a secret political-police..
I “I made a film. That’s really my crime. And they were
( more efficient with me than-they ever were with the
Mafia.”
t But, then, as Swearingen told De Antonio in that first
i phone call, “They had morepeople on you.” □
1 Tuchman is the senior editor of UCLA's oral history
! project. ' ^ ..
.io-7
f
3 FROM ^
OFFICE OF DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
TO
*
OFFICIAL .I^NDlCAi^ED BELOW
Mr, Colwell
( )
Mr. Mullen
( )
Mr* Otto
_ ( )
Mr. Bayse
( )
Mr. Greenleaf ..
( )
Mr. Finzel
( )
Mr, Kelleher
jn\f"
Mr, McKenzie _
Mr* Mintz
Mr, Monroe
T- f ^ ^
Mr. O’Malley _
( )
Mr. Revell
. ( )
Mr. Starnes
_ ( )
Mr, Young
( )
( )
( )
Mr* Hot is
( )
1
( )
Ms, Spaeth
Mr* Stef>l
( )
( )
Tele, Room
( )
1 L
( )
b6
b7C
See Me
Note and return ,
Prepare reply and return for my signature
Please Handle — ^
Respond over your signature
Prepare memo for the Department ,
For your recommendation
What are the facts?
Hold
.( )
.( )
.( )
.( )
,'( )
.( )
.( )
.(
.( )
Remarks:
FBI/DOJ
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet
Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American
Libraries
TV News
Understanding
9/11